Amalgam: The First Chapter
by Nicoletta Paris
Summary: Damon finds a counterpart in Morgan, a feisty and sensual college student who challenges him, but her unknown fate and birthright sends their realities into a tailspin and it's a race against time to prepare them both for the biggest fight of their lives
1. Encounter

**To those who've only read the books-thing will seem much different then what you know of the situation and to those who've only watched the show-some descriptions will seem odd and off point. This story is based off a mixture of the two, which is why I posted it as a crossover, linking it to both the TV show and the book series. I found it too hard a task to choose between the two for a basis for my story and figured what the hell this is reality very different from the two already and since I have complete control over my own writing why can't I embrace the qualities from them both that I find the most conducive to an interesting plot? So that's what I've done- I warn you now if you are partial to one or the other this story may not appeal to you but if you are interested in seeing a completely new journey (or just share my obsession with the dark and dangerous Damon and would like to see a bit of happiness in his life for once) then I hope you find this just as juicy and exhilarating to read as I do to write :)- N. Paris**

_**Amalgam**_

_Chapter 1: _

_Encounter_

* * *

Morgan hated today, today was an absolutely horrid day, just another reminder that perhaps coming out to this quiet little Virginia town just to be in the presence of a great intellectual mind such Professor Denali's was not such a good idea. She took another swig of her scotch on the rocks and tried to push the thoughts of her day back into the dark part of her mind. She didn't want to be reminded of how extremely narrowed in on her Denali had been, didn't want to remember the way she basically used her as a public display of stupidity.

Morgan was not an unintelligent woman, you couldn't be working on your Master's Degree in Psychology with duel minors in Philosophy and Sociology and be unintelligent, it just didn't work like that. Yet ever since she'd come to George Mason Denali, a women she had worked her ass off to work with, had been singling her out in damn near ever class and was twisting every single response Morgan had given her.

It pissed Morgan off, because she knew Denali was fucking with her, yet she couldn't tell if is she was to trying to break her-which no one was possible of-or testing her. Either way, it was both infuriating and embarrassing to be publicly spoken down to in front of a room full of people and it took ever ounce of her respect for the woman's work to control her temper from flaring up and blasting the bitch down a peg or two.

She blew out a sharp breath and threw her head back to finish the last of her drink in one giant gulp before sliding the empty cup down the bar to the bartender as she smiled and requested another. While she waited for the next one, she pulled the length of her hair over her one shoulder and gently messaged away the tension that was building up in her opposite shoulder, letting her eyes flutter closed softly as she enjoyed the pressure she applied to the tight muscles there. Her solitary bliss was broken by the sound of a smooth deep voice coming from the side of her that wasn't cloaked in the dark wall of large curls. The voice startled her slightly, because no one had been there before and she hadn't even heard a rustle of movement that would indicate someone approaching her; hell she'd even missed the sound of the chair dragging across the wooden floor- damn how lost in herself had she been?

"Excuse me," she said as she seized the motion of her hand and opened her eyes. The man before her was devastatingly handsome, which made a genuinely pleased smile creep across her lips. He had a light complexion, the purity of it made her think of flawless white marble, and it made the onyx of his eyes even more striking. She'd never seen someone with eyes that dark, they were extremely captivating. They matched his sporadic strands of hair that fell down over his forehead, coming up just short of his thick eyebrows. The rest of it had just enough sexy length that it came slightly over his ears in un-kept yet styled tousled fashion. It was thick and dangerously straight but had a sort of volume that caused Morgan to want to run her fingers deep into it, grabbing erotic fistfuls of it as she pulled him into her; yes it was certainly that sort of hair.

His jaw was square and strong, the lines of it tempting her to run her teeth or lips along it. And his lips, what beautifully full and inviting lips he had, even when the corners of them were pulled back in that cocky manner; how could he not be cocky when he looked that marvelous?

His attire was all clad black, a mixture of leather, silk and denim from head to toe. All that black burning next to that marble skin made him look dangerous. Like one of those painfully beautiful, cocky, dangerous boys who steals your virtue and that very easily convinces you to do very bad things with him while he starts fights, causes trouble and blows your mind-Morgan loved those kinds of boys, they were sort of her weakness.

"Bad day?" he said in a smooth and erotic tone as his dark eyes glittered in the way a polished black car would when finally being introduced to the sun after being held captive on a showroom floor. "The only kind of days I seem to have lately," Morgan said with a sigh as she gripped the cup the bartended slide towards her before taking a deep sip of it. He tightened his jaw, a hint of empathy dancing across the darkness of his eyes, making them even darker for a moment (if that was even possible) as they scanned her face before they went back to their previous shade as they met hers. He half smiled as he lifted his glass to her and spoke in that smooth tone again, "Let's drink to that."

She let out a soft single breathy laugh and raised her glass, tapping his with it as she held his eyes and drew the cup to her lips, their eyes never breaking contact as they sipped. She licked the small bit of residual scotch off of her lips as she arched her eyebrow slightly (a reaction to his smoldering gaze that she didn't really intend on making)and his lips spread to reveal a bit of an amazingly brilliant smile as he lowered his head so he held her eyes from under his brow.

Every fiber of her was screaming he was dangerous, that the onyx of his eyes were a clear indication that he would be nothing but trouble and that she should break their gaze and save herself from some clearly bad decisions she'd make with him, and she couldn't get enough of it. She needed to relieve some of the tension she had built up in her body, needed to use him as her release and bad decisions were always so fun. It'd been so long since she'd made some, she'd been behaving herself so much lately that she was due a little recklessness.

Morgan turned towards him, opening up herself to him for the first time since he slipped into the seat next to her, and spoke in a tone nearly as smooth as his, she wasn't unversed in the workings of this scene, their eyes still locked, "It's a general rule of mine that I at least know the name of the random dark and mysterious strangers I drink reality away with at the bar-so, before I get you completely wasted and have my way with you what name is it I'd better be unable to say later?"

He tilted his head in intrigue, obviously pleased with her forwardness as he arched his brows and ran his tongue sleekly over his top teeth before responding in a tantalizing raw and husky voice as he leaned closer to her, "I promise you that you won't even get the beginning of Damon passed your lips." He smelt like expensive cologne, something like Armani, and leather, a mixture she wasn't quite used to but rather much enjoyed-good he's a well off bad boy, if she played her card right she just might get him to buy some of the drinks before she used him to emit some of her frustrations.

She winked as a wicked smile crept slowly across her lips and she brought her glass to them, her tone a sultry whisper against it's brim, "Well Damon, I will definitely drink to that." His smile was just as wicked as he spoke in a cocky and erotic tone that flowed so smoothly that she couldn't help but shiver slightly, "If that's what we're drinking to then I think it's best that the rest should be doubles and that shots are in order."

She tilted her head slightly and one of her eyebrows arched in intrigue as she lowered the cup away from her lips, "That confident?" He didn't even wait a beat, his response slipped from his lips just as soon as hers passed hers, "Absolutely." "I hold a man to his word," she said leaning a little closer to him and narrowing her eyes very slightly. "Well then I guess it's lucky for you that I don't say anything I can't follow through on," he said as he closed the space between them further so that she could smell the sweet whiskey mixing with his hot breath to create a thick sheet of intoxicating addiction that she was more then eager to drag into her lungs.

"Well in that case I guess neither of us should be left wanting tonight," she said confidently as she brought their lips to the point that they almost touched. "No we wont," he said against her lips. She let him give her a small taste of what it was like with him as their lips moved skillfully together, a raw passion and hunger indicative in the way they responded to one another that she'd never experienced before. His taste was in perfect synchronization with the aroma of his breath and she could practically feel her body melting into the addiction he was creating for her with his mouth.

She pulled away, even though it was like denying the rich blend of Cognac when you had a weakness of brandy, and met his onyx eyes that were surprisingly composed considering how quickly she'd just stopped in the middle of their kiss-she was absolutely certain that anyone who kisses like that wasn't used to behavior like hers. But she wasn't going to let him take her that easily, he'd have to work just a little bit harder-she had more respect for herself then that. "Tequila," she said as she arched her brow and brought her glass back to her lips.

His eyes narrowed in confusion, causing his brow to crease beneath the sporadic wisps of his bangs. She released another small breathy laugh as her lips arched and she sipped her drink again before speaking, "I prefer my shots to be of tequila." He held her eyes, a brilliant movie star smile that was teetering on the edge of sinister breaking free as he snapped over his shoulder to get the bartender's attention before putting in his request as he held her eyes, "The lady and I would like double shots of Patron with each drink and she drinks nothing but double black labels for the remainder of the night."

She held his eyes as the bartender slid a new glass before her that was as he requested accompanied by her shot. "A man after my own heart," she said letting a mischievous smile arched on her lips as she finished what was left of her inferior Dewar's. "Well we are drinking to word tonight are we not?" he said making his eyes smolder as he matched her smile.

* * *

He found Morgan to be a rather intriguing woman. She was clearly very beautiful, her dark curly hair that fell down to her tiny waist contrasted the pale slightly peach of her complexion deliciously. The apples of her cheeks were a soft flushed pink and her lush and swollen lips were a lavish shade of soft red like they were permanently stained from a pomegranate or perhaps something more devious. She had large doe like brilliantly green eyes that had a little bit of golden flares around her pupil and a thin line of jet black surrounding the iris that were framed by long sweeping black lashes.

The lines of her face were soft at first glance but if you truly took them in they were surprisingly striking. Oddly enough he couldn't quite put his finger on what origins we're responsible for this delicious threat he'd spent the last three hours with but he was thankful none the less. He enjoyed the company of beautiful women and he never fed from anyone other then them unless the situation was drastic but seldom did he ever want to listen to their mindless chatter.

Normally he'd entertain them for a brief period of time until he couldn't be bothered with it any longer, at which point he'd compel them to keep quiet until they'd fulfilled their purpose to him. But Morgan was a rarity because she was both scrumptious and didn't waste time playing cute or coy. She also didn't ask a million pointless questions or whine about her mundane, pathetic human life. No, she just spoke very frankly about her intentions and insisted on having a good time while keeping the babble to a minimum-which he found appealing. He didn't have to compel her openness to ease or her lack of intimidation, she (like so many for before her) just simple wanted him-and how could she not?

She had a sort of magnitude that drew people towards her and he doubted if she'd ever really truly been alone before. They gravitated towards her as she started to unwind, eager to be inside this playful and extroverted energy that she created around herself.

The effect she had on them had gotten on his nerves slightly when the guy they hustled in pool for two-hundred bucks slid his hand across her ass whenever he crossed when her to make a shot. It shouldn't have bothered him, she was just one of the many girls he'd met at the bar, but he had a stack claimed on her-she was his to have tonight, he could come back for what was left when Damon was done. And at first she ignored it, took it as unintentional caress that'd been created by cramped area of the grill but the second time irritated her and got him a dirty look. The third time gained him a snide remark with a threat and the fourth and final time (which had Damon damn near ready to snap his wrist to remind him that he don't share) brought him flat on his back on the floor-she threw one hell of a right hook and that rush of anger that lead her to snap was extremely sexy. And once that was over, she was back to being fun again, it was slightly psychotic and twisted the way she could brush it off and continue as though nothing had just happened-it was amazing.

She leaned up onto the bar and swept her curls that were a deep chestnut broken up by periodic strands of mahogany over her shoulder, exposing the creamy white of her throat and he watched the steady pulsation of her blood beneath it, tempting him to tap it right here in the bar but he had a century and half worth of practiced control that kept him behaved despite his desire.

He drew his gaze up to hers as she rested her head on her hand, the angle caused her neck to arch even more openly, as she spoke in a slightly slurred tone that was surprisingly composed and sultry, "That last double was looking a little light, I feel we may have damn near tapped them dry tonight. Plus, I usually prefer to maintain some level of cognitive function when I do very improper things-so what you say we get out of here?"

He narrowed his eyes playfully as the thought to tapping her dry made a sly smile break through his lips and he watched her from under his brow. He leaned towards her, raised his lips to nearly graze hers as he spoke in a genuinely excited yet seductive tone, "I couldn't agree more-I do have my word to defend."

She winked as she finished the last of her drink and got to her feet, her eyes searching down the bar for bartender while she slipped her charcoal gray hip length trench coat on.

He finished his drink and threw his hand up in the general direction of the bartender, who crossed towards them hastily at Damon's beckon while he spoke, "Allow me." "Well thank you," she said as she tightened the knot at her waist and pulled her hair down over the front of her shoulders so that it fell over her full chest-which he'd decided was at least a "D". "My pleasure, I feel I may be responsible for the majority of them anyhow," he said smiling wickedly at her as he stood before turning his gaze towards the man who stood before them.

"Add all of her drinks to my tab," he said as he held the man's eyes. His pupils dilated as he took over the weak mind of the bartender, infiltrating his psyche. This man's was painfully simple to manipulate, but then again simple was a fairly relative term, Damon hadn't come into contact with any mind that was could keep him out (not including those which were under the influence of vervain-which of course did not count). Some people were harder then others, but he was always stronger, which came from both his healthy diet and his continuous practice of the act of compelling-this guy was a joke, even with Damon as intoxicated as he was.

He felt Morgan's lips on his ear as he manipulated the man's mind nearly breaking his concentration, her voice smooth and suggestive, "I'll be sure to find a way to repay you." "Of course Mr. Salvatore," the man said in a slightly monotone voice as Damon placed various notions into his mind-skewing the reality of the tab. The man took the card that he slid across the counter towards him and once he'd turned to run the it Damon turned towards Morgan, who was still pressed closely to his side. Their eyes locked as their lips came so close that they were merely separated by the air that passed between them as he responded, "I am sure I can think of a thing or two that will make up for that."

She smiled back at him before responding in a whisper so low it might have been wasted if he was anything else, "Ask and it's yours." He arched his brows and smiled as he used a whisper only several pitches higher then her own, "Don't tease me." She ran her tongue along the seal of his lips before pulling away to retrieve her purse and to start away from him, pausing to look over her shoulder as her eyes danced and she spoke in a seductive manner, "That's not in my nature Mr. Salvatore."

The man slipped his card across the bar towards him with a transaction receipt under it and a pen while he held her eyes and spoke as a devilish smile spread wide on his mouth, "Better not be." He held her eyes long enough to receive her wink before turning back toward the bar to retrieve his slip-which read zero dollars, as it always did. Damon never paid to drink, everything went on his tab and his tab never existed when it was time to leave, which was very handy on a night like tonight where he and his nightly entertainment managed to drink a collective total of over two-hundred dollars worth of top shelf liquor.

He signed the slip, holding the man's eyes again compelled him to dispose of the slip and their actual tabs once the two of them were out the door and gave him the belief that all was squared away legitimately. Once he'd completed his compel and was bided goodnight by the bartender he turned back towards Morgan who was still watching him over her shoulder. He crossed towards her, wrapped his arm around her and they started out of the bar as she leaned in to whisper one last retort, "Let's get to testing each other's word."


	2. Recognition

**I have several chapters already complete and am working on more as we speak- I will post a new chapter around once a week from here on out but I felt that I could not leave you without more to read this early in the game. So, if you like it and want to see more please let me know-I am dying for feedback and a few encouraging ones might get an early release of the next chapter :) I really hope you keep coming back because it only gets better 3 -N. Paris**

_**Amalgam**_

_Chapter 2: _

_Recognition_

* * *

She stood beneath the steady flow of the nearly scolding water, letting it course over the contours of her body as she tried to recall her evening. She'd awaken with a slight pounding behind her eyes, making her head feel hazy and overpowered by pain, alone in her bed in nothing but her bra and panties. She could recall fractions of her night with Damon, she remembered the bar in it's entirety but after that her memory was sketchy.

She knows she left with him at around one thirty or so and that they took a cab to his place; now she couldn't tell you exactly where his place was because they'd been slightly busy in the backseat during the majority of the ride, but she remembered it being out of the way in the woods-perhaps on the edge of town? She wasn't sure, but it was a tutor styled home that was clearly built some time ago; she believed she remembered he told her it was an inheritance-or something along those lines, she wasn't quite sure, it got kind of choppy after that. But she was positive it was very nice and full of interesting antiques (she remembered trying to look around a little but he had very skillfully distracted her)and she was sure if she were to see it again she was she would remember it.

She faintly remembered his room: it was dark, like him, full of walnut furniture all clearly dated around the time that the house was built and the walls were a deep almost black maroon. The various windows were covered with heavy black curtains that matched the velvet bedspread and silk sheets-yes she clearly remembered the way the silk sheets had felt very expensive.

And there had been a fireplace opposite his bed, the mantle place made of the same dark walnut as the furniture and it had been lit when they got there-or did he start it for them? She couldn't be sure but she knew there was a fire at some point, because she recalled the way it felt on her bare skin. And there was a matching leather couch and chair set by it and a throw rug that tied together the walls and the black of everything else-she could remember that they'd been on both of these surfaces at some point.

And she absolutely remembered that the sex was phenomenal-his word was definitely good. She couldn't really recall the details of it exactly but she remembered the passion, it had been stifling and carnal and it lasted for what seemed like hours-now she knew it was humanly impossible for it to have really been that long, but she knows it sure felt like that. And it had happened more then once, how many times she couldn't be sure, but she did recollect being awaken for an encore.

Her body ached, but it was a pleasant kind of ache because she knew it meant that she'd had an amazing night of extra curricular activities with someone who's stamina rivaled her own. He was an animal, I guess it's true what they say about those Italian men-she thought as she shut the water off and squeezed the excess water out of her hair.

She stepped out and started her daily ritual of preparation while she tried fiercely to piece together what had happened after they'd had their bodies pressed to damn near every surface of his room. She couldn't figure out how she'd gotten home-had he brought her? She vaguely remembered something dark, expensive and foreign that moved very quickly-but what about Damon didn't fit this description? So, it was possible she was wrong.

It was no use, she thought as she finished towel drying her hair before brushing the various products she used to keep it healthy and shiny through it and moved into the bedroom to drop her towel and rub lotion all over her skin. She knew that she'd consumed a ridiculous amount of alcohol, but she had never had a night this splotchy before regardless of what she drank. It was frustrating because certain things were crystal clear but others were complete blank and then everything else was vague or more so an impression then anything else.

She didn't like having this fuzziness in her psyche, didn't like having gaps of nothing in her memory. She would like very much to be able to remember ever second they spent wrapped around each other because it had been undoubtedly something worth remembering-her muscles told her so with the soreness that crept through them even after she'd soaked in the steamy shower.

And then there was this, she thought as she propped her right foot on the bed and ran the lotion over her inner thigh. The skin here was swollen and red and there was clearly a bite mark that showed that his teeth had slightly broken the skin. It wasn't really that this appalled her or anything, actually she found it quite sexy that there had been that much primal passion between the two of them, it was just that she wished she couldn't remember how it felt to have his mouth on her inner thighs.

As she continued to examine the mark, running her fingers along the arch of where his teeth had gripped her skin, the sound of rapidly displaced air startled her. She jumped, grabbing up her towel to shield herself from intruding eyes as she turned towards the noise. She let out a startled laugh as she wrapped the towel back around her chest, tucking in the end of one side to secure it as she walked across the room. It was just a bird coming to land on the sill of her open window.

It was the largest and most beautiful crow she'd ever seen in her life. It had feathers the color of ebony that the light made shimmer in iridescent hues purple, blue and green. "You scared me buddy," she said softly with a hint of embarrassment in her tone. It cawed sharply as she approached it, like it was responding to her-which was ridiculous but that is exactly how it seemed.

She'd never seen a crow get this close to people, they tended to keep their distance but this big guy didn't seem phased by the several inches between them as she lowered to examine the bird. "You're a beautiful guy aren't you?" she said as her eyes slid fluidly over the multitude of colors that the sun created in his dark silky feathers. He cried out again, this time the pitch lower then before as it broke through his black beak.

It was another perfectly placed caw, that made it seem like he were answering her and it didn't startle her at all, even though it probably should have because she was dangerously close to the wild fowl. She felt oddly at ease with animals, had her whole life, they always seemed to gravitate towards her, finding her fairly easy to trust. She rose her hand slowly, being careful to not startle the bird as she watched its black eyes to be sure it wouldn't find her threatening. The bird cocked it head, watching her hand as it neared him but didn't back away so she continued towards it. He allowed her to stroke his feathers at the back of his neck softly and she followed the stroke back and stroked the underside of the same feathers before pulling back just as slowly as she'd approached as she spoke in a soft coo, "Good bird."

There was another sharp caw, his black eyes focused on her face throughout the screech before he turned them towards the sun and jumped from the ledge, dropped several feet and then shot upward, his large beautiful wings slapping against the wind forcefully. It cried twice more before it's iridescent onyx was no longer visible to Morgan from where she was still crouched by the window.

* * *

He couldn't get Morgan out of his mind, which was infuriating. He wasn't supposed to be anything but nostalgic about his prey. But she had slithered into his mind, taking up portions of it and straggled the reason out of them to the point that he'd let her remember him-something he never did unless he planned to use them as his own personal blood bank. But yet he'd been unwilling to completely remove himself from her memory, he'd wanted her to recognize him if they were to meet again-which was reckless on his part.

He'd been sure to remove certain portions of their night together though, enough to make it reasonable for her to believe it was drunkenness spotty blacking out and to conceal that he'd fed from her of course-and she had been delicious, perhaps the most delicious blood he'd ever had. No definitely the most appetizing-he'd almost been unable to stop himself from drawing it from her. It was sweet, rich and had a hint of something he couldn't quite place-that was sort of how it was with her, there was so much he couldn't pinpoint about her.

Which is what he'd used to rationalize away the need to see her again-he needed to figure her out so he could be done with it. He prided himself on his control, among many other things, yet something about her made him lose it slightly sporadically and even though he could normally recognize this and snap back to his senses he couldn't let it continue. It was unacceptable because it made him weak and weak was not an option. If he gave up even a portion of his control to anything or anyone, he'd end up dropping his guard and leaving gaps for someone to utilize to hurt him, which could not happen. He wasn't Stefen, he wouldn't we a pathetically feeble example of their kind because the next thing you know he'd be hunting bunnies and squirrels-which was disgraceful. And besides being disgraceful, it would mean he'd miss out on all the marvelous human prey he'd come into contact in the past century and a half-like that obscene amount of deliciousness he'd pulled from Morgan's femoral artery last night, he wouldn't give that feeling up for anything. He'd picked this spot because it was much more sensual then the standard carotid and after the ridiculous amount of time they'd spent naked together it seemed only fitting.

He poured himself a glass of bourbon and fell into the leather chair in front of the fireplace in the main living room. He watched the fire and spilled the sweetness of the mixture of grains that was distilled for a length of time that was a median for human life expectancy- one of the perks to living far longer and having more bloody money then you really knew what to do with.

His bittersweet remembrance of the intoxicating concoction of Morgan's blood seeping warm and thick into his mouth was interrupted by Stefen's snide remark, "Do you think next time you bring someone home with you, you can be a little more quiet about it? Elena and I don't really need to hear all that." "I didn't realize I gave a damn if my activities bothered your brother, I'll be sure to forget it again next time," he said as he shot Stefen a dazzlingly wide smile.

Stefen rolled his eyes, as he did to most of Damon's responses and tightened his jaw as he spoke in the same voice he'd used the first time, "Who was it this time Damon? A sorority sister who will think she roofied at a frat party? Or maybe some random soccer mom who must have forgotten how much hard liquor kicks her ass?" "Well I can tell you one thing for sure little brother," Damon said as he stood and crossed towards his brother, holding the end of his response off until he was in Stefen's face, "I didn't pick her up at the zoo."

Stefen tightened his jaw again but this time he held Damon's eyes while he nodded and responded, his tone still snide and prejudice, "At least I don't bring my dinner home with me." "Well obviously not brother, mammals that small are no good in sack," Damon said with a smile that matched Stefen's tone.

"God Damon could you be more degrading and crude?" Elena said breaking Damon's concentration on his brother. He drifted his eyes over his brother's shoulder to meet hers as she stood in the doorway, her arms crossed at her chest and a look of disgust on her face, making it mildly unattractive-which took effort on her part. He rather enjoyed that it was so easy to get under her skin sometimes. "Don't look at me like that: did you hear anything that sounded like something other then pure pleasure in her screams last night?" he said arching his brows suggestively as he flashed a devious smile at her. Elena huffed in disgust and rolled her eyes breaking their connection to his as she fixed them out the window and Stefen spoke in that annoying tone again that Damon had become quite accustomed to ignoring, "And how much did you have to warp her mind for that?"

Damon brought his eyes back to his brother's narrowing them slightly as he smiled slyly, "Would it excite you to know I didn't have to do a damn thing until it was time to leave. The initial bite actually turned her on and I happen to be amazing enough in pleasing a woman that her mind wasn't even clear enough to be phased by my feeding." "Ah you bedded a unrespectable vamp-groupie, forgive me for not giving you more credit," Stefen shot back in a callous tone as he patted Damon's shoulder in a condescending manner.

"Think what you like brother," Damon said holding his eyes momentarily before he pushed through him and started out of the room, turning to complete his retort as he continued towards the door backwards and threw his arms to the side as he smiled wildly, "she was absolutely magnificent. Quite the lioness in the sheets and on the couch, and the carpet and every other place where we could manage it and the blood in her was so rich and lavish I will be bringing her here again shortly."

Stefen scowled in disapproval as he slipped his hands in his pockets and Damon turned his back to him before he could say anything else to attempt to kill the buzz her blood had given him. He pressed against Elena as on his way out, paused and she held his eyes, hers hard and irritated as he spoke in a husky whisper, "I have quite the knack for tapping an artery while causing nothing but pleasure. My favorite is this one right here-" She slapped his hand away as he trailed a finger along her inner thigh, tracing the femoral.

He smiled sinisterly and raised both his hands up submissively as she pulled away from him and shot her words out nastily, her eyes burning, "Don't even think about it Damon." He shrugged, his hands still high as his smile widened and his one brow arched, "Just saying-" "Well don't, you'll never have the chance," Elena said sternly as she narrowed her eyes in anger. "Never say never darling," he said winking as he slipped his free hand into his pocket and brought his glass to his lips. She huffed again while she shook her head and crossed her arms at her chest again before speaking in a nasty growl, which actually made him slightly hungry, "Never!"

He laughed and rolled his eyes while he turned away from her and continued down the hallway as he called over his shoulder in a cocky and dickish manner, "You know where to find me when you are ready for the better Salvatore brother. My door is always open Elena." He could hear her huffing behind him, could virtually see the irritated expression on his pathetic brother's face and could practically feel the protective embrace he was gathering his girlfriend into now-since crude and infuriating Damon had gotten so deeply under her thin skin. It made him smile, both because he found it entertaining and because the two of them had no idea how clear it was that Elena yearned for it even if she didn't want to admit it.

He decided then that perhaps it was time to go observe Morgan some more, he could use a healthy dose of her again and the little bit of his blood he'd rubbed into his bite mark on her thigh had done exactly what he'd wanted-healed it enough to hide the true meaning of it while leaving something for her remember him by. It should be healed enough be now that he would be able to drink more from her when he got his hands on her but hell if it didn't some divine being had blessed her with another that he was sure would quench his thirst just as nicely.


	3. Doubles

_**Amalgam**_

_Chapter 3: _

_Doubles_

_

* * *

_

She found it rather difficult to focus for the majority of the day. Her mind seemed to ping pong between Damon-she really would like to see him again-and the crow-whom she'd seen on at least three more occasions today.

Her reasons for thinking of Damon were pretty simple for her to understand: he was incredibly delicious. She couldn't quite get the remembrance of his face out of her mind, it was like it was burned into her-and she was rather pleased to have it there. Not to mention, they'd had absolutely amazing sex-something she hadn't had in a long time-and she wouldn't mind getting herself some more of it.

She knew that all of this was highly superficial, but she rather enjoyed his company as well. He was clearly very arrogant and dark, but that black energy he created around himself was hypnotizing. She couldn't help but want to relish it as it coursed out of his eyes and shot right into her soul, making her want to do very bad things. She'd always struggled with her deep seeded desire to cause trouble and walk the fine line between good old fun and complete immorality and when he was around she found it harder to fight against-which was kind of invigorating. And she found his forthright, witty and sarcastic responses both hilarious and refreshing-she was tired of the stuffy and self-righteous reactions of the majority.

And then of course there was the fact that she had no way of fulfilling her need for him, whether it be for company or as a lover, because she didn't know where to find him. She didn't have a number or an address, all she had was a name-one very dark and sensual name-and her memories of their night together-all of which were electric. She'd never been in this predicament before, normally there was something she could utilize if she wished to see an interesting man again but this time, when she was truly wanting to get a second taste, she had nothing tangible.

Her infatuation with her crow was a bit different. The first time she saw him she'd thought perhaps it were a different bird then the one that had perched on her window that morning, but upon investigation it was painfully clear that it was him and he'd even came close enough to let her touch him again, but only once. She'd been able to push the bird from her mind after she saw him the first time, but now it was nearly impossible to do that because she couldn't place a definitive meaning on his constant resurfacing.

First of all, it was a rather peculiar crow because crows normally traveled in groups but her crow was always by himself when she saw him. The last two times she saw him she'd made a point of looking for at least one more bird, thinking that perhaps he was the scout bird and there were others perched in a tree somewhere watching and learning from him, but there never was. Secondly, he'd allowed her to touch him on two occasions now, something that even some domesticated birds had issues with seeing as fowls weren't generally very cuddly. And thirdly, and perhaps the most perplexing, he seemed to be following her and not only that but watching her, not surveying the general area but rather fixated on her-which she knew had to be absolutely ludicrous but it was just the way it felt.

It should have felt very Albert Hitchcock but his presence didn't really bother her, even though it probably should have-he was a scavenger and a fairly old omen of misfortune and it wasn't as if he were something less sinister such as a dove, yet she was content with his eyes on her. She'd actually found him too beautiful and his watch over her too powerful to be frightened of him. This oddly at ease feeling he gave her drove her to investigate the various beliefs about this particular fowl.

At first it seemed that she were some kind of anomaly because nearly every culture saw them as an omen as wicked as it's larger counterpart, the raven. They were said to be ghosts of murder victims, souls of the damned or a presage of death and damn near every culture believed that the only crows that were a good omen were the dead ones.

But just when she'd decided that she was more psychologically warped then she'd originally thought for feeling at ease with the bird she found a site about Cherokee Indian animal totems in which the crow was depicted much differently. The Cherokees acknowledged that the crow was sly and deceptive but that they did it as a mean of self-preservation. They believed them to be keepers of knowledge because nothing escaped their keen eyes and that listening to the crow, who's vocabulary is said to be rather extensive-each caw meaning something different-can teach you how to hear the truth of what is really being said. They also commended their tendency to foresee danger, warn other's less perceptive of said danger and their ability to adapt to and survive any situation.

They went on to explain that the black that cloaks them is the color of creation. They said that black, the color of the darkness, represents how night gives birth to the rising sun of a new day-neither able to exist without the other. They said the fact that the crow is diurnal served as a reminder that magic and creation is always present in both darkness and light. They also believed that the crow could shift between the known and unknown world, representing great adventure and a new journey and that it is associated with magic, unseen forces and spiritual strength. They advised that: "if a crow flies into your life- get out of your familiar nest, look beyond your present range of vision, listen to its caw and act accordingly for a new journey has truly begun."

She pondered these notions as she sat cross-legged on her bed with her laptop atop her thighs. Well, she had to say she was much more satisfied by the Cherokees take on the fowl, it seemed that out of all the vast amount of cultures they were the only ones who got it right. Or perhaps, their altered psyches due to massive consumption of marijuana and opiates before becoming philosophical was just in correlation with her distorted view of the word in sober mind-whatever it was, she felt they were spot on for her feelings on the matter.

As she scrolled through the webpage, running through the literature about her crow one last time she was interrupted by the boom of a heavy fist on her front door. It startled her slightly, she hadn't been expecting anyone, and she composed herself, running her fingers through her hair and readjusting her tiny, tight black t-shirt and dark denim jeans as she moved towards the noise and called out, "One minute."

She unlocked the deadbolt, slid the chain lock back and pulled the door open slowly, peering out onto the dimly lit porch as she cracked the door open enough to see who had come to her. Her heart started racing instantly, pounding hotly within her ears in excitement as she took in clad black beauty before her, his weight resting on his forearm which was propped on her doorframe as a devilish smile beamed across his mouth-Damon.

"Hello Morgan," he said in that velvety smooth seductive tone that had seemed impossible to be his normal speaking voice at first, but she was beginning to believe that luckily for her it just might be. She pulled the door open more and her own wicked yet pleasantly surprised smile crept out as she responded in her own sultry tone, "Hello Damon-I hoped I'd see you again." She could see the satisfaction sparkle in his smile, extending up into the darkness of his eyes as he responded, "I'm certain you hoped for more then just seeing me again."

God, she loved his cockiness, she was fully aware that he had every reason to be and she didn't mind encouraging it when it was so beautifully justified. "Of course I did," she said arching a single brow as she bit her bottom lip, causing a flare in his confidence to project itself in his body language just as she'd wanted-she enjoyed knowing that he was certain that he'd satisfied her immensely the night before. "And all the cards were in your hand today and you played them so beautifully by coming back for me- so, obviously you want more then a look as well," she said as she let her own tone show it's own level of arrogance.

"I can think of far more productive things we can do together," he said leaning forward onto his forearm to bring his face closer to hers as their eyes smoldered on one another. "As could I," she said closing the gap between them further for a several scorching moments before she pulled away and tilted her head, her tone less seductive as she smiled vindictively, "But even though just the fact that you're standing here wanting me is hot enough to make me want to strip you down and do all the dirty things we did last night all over again-I take just a little more courting then that Mr. Salvatore."

He tilted his head respective to hers, lining their mouths back up so that they could almost touch each other as he spoke in a husky whisper his eyes lingering on her lips, "Don't go ruining the beautiful thing we have darling, I rather like the way you taste." "As do I," she said before brushing her lips softly to his and speaking against them in her own whisper, "But sometimes a girl needs to be shown how much she's wanted in ways that don't involve her taste so that she is more generous with her favors."

He sighed against her mouth and pulled away slightly to gently grip her throat in his free hand, tracing a line with his thumb up the outside of it, arching it tenderly up to her jaw line, along it and up to her bottom lip, his eyes burning on hers as he spoke in a whisper that was strong despite it's pitch, "And what does this girl consider courting?"

His gentle touch despite his rough and dangerous appearance made her body quiver slightly, as the thoughts of all the amazing things he could do to her surged through her mind-which she was sure was his intention, but she welcomed it anyhow, it didn't change that she would make him work for her just as she had last night. "Food is always a strong positive, she's sort of a fat kid at heart and nourishment means more stamina for her repayment," she said softly against his thumb which still lingered on her swollen bottom lip.

"If you weren't so delicious: I'd walk away," he said his tone showing signs of annoyance that he was going to give in. "And if you weren't equally as satisfying I wouldn't be entertaining the thought of another night when you mouth ends up right back here," she said pulling his hand from her mouth, trailing it slowly down her body as she spoke to bring it to the mark that was on her inner thigh.

She felt him shiver slightly in pleasure as his eyes reflected a hunger so strong that she almost forgot about dinner all together while his nails dug into the denim of her jeans. She had to fight back the shiver in her own body, and even though it almost hurt to do it she managed so she could maintain whatever level of control she had over herself, as she backed away from him slowly, the smile of a vixen dancing on her lips as she spoke in a tone that matched it, her eyes holding his passionately, "I'll get my jacket then."

She could see him struggling with himself, both physically and mentally as he tightened his jaw and held her eyes, straightening his stance in the doorway while he spoke in a tone that was both a threat and a playful remark, it sounded like he wasn't quite sure which it favored more, he wasn't used to being on that side of the reins, "Make it quick or I might change my mind."

She winked to push him towards the latter as she slipped into the same dark gray hip length trench coat she'd worn last night-which reminded her she didn't make it home with anything other then that, her bra and panties and her shoes last night, she couldn't believe she'd left his house so unclothed. She put on her knee high black leather high heeled boots, zipping them over the bottom of her jeans and grabbed her purse, making slight hast to be sure that he knew she was just as excited to get back in between the sheets with him as he was. She hit the lights as she moved, leaving pitch darkness behind her as she worked her way back to him, a smile on her mouth at the thought of it.

When she finally made her way to the doorway, he motioned her respectfully to pass before him and she nodded at him in thanks as she smiled and closed the door behind herself. While she was turning the key in the lock, he grabbed her shoulders, spinning her towards him with a passionate force that probably would have hurt if it were anyone but him, and slammed her against the door. Her keys fell to the porch as he gripped her wrists harshly and forced her arms against the door as well while he pressed his body hard against hers and slammed their lips together, the desire and hunger in them matching the look he'd had in his eyes when he'd dug into her thigh.

His hot mouth moved from her lips to her jaw, his teeth scrapping it sporadically as he worked his way upward towards her ear. Once he'd finally made his way all the way to her lobe, he nibbled it as his sultry, slightly edgy and fierce voice seeped out against her ear, "Don't you forget who's in charge here."

She couldn't fight the shiver this time, it erupted through her with a force that had her eyes fluttering slightly in pleasure as a weak and satisfaction soaked breathy response broke through her trembling lips, "Never." She absolutely loved the way he was dominating her and she couldn't think of anything she wanted more then this-he could always be in control if this is the treatment she got when he was. "Good," he said in almost a growl before nibbling her lobe softer this time, his hands loosening on her wrists and slipping up to lock with her, their fingers linking as his mouth worked it's way back towards hers, his body still pressed against her holding her to the door motionless. When their lips finally met again, she couldn't get enough of how phenomenal the hot black electricity that seeped from him into her felt. She needed her fix of the addiction he'd created last night; she'd remembered this feeling all day long, couldn't get the taste of him out of her mouth and yet here with him now it seemed even more tantalizing then she had recalled.

And when he pulled the drug away from her finally, she found herself trying to chase after it, arching her now even more swollen lips towards it, hungry for more-just one more hit and she'd be okay. "Oh no you don't," he said moving one set of their linked hands from the wall to press his index finger to her lips as he spoke in a condescending yet sexy whisper, "You said you needed courting for a taste, so you don't get anything else until after I've courted you-no take backs."

She felt a stab in the chest as she realized that she wouldn't be getting another hit until sometime after dinner-damn her big mouth! She held his eyes as she sucked the tip of his finger into her mouth momentarily before responding in a very smoldering whisper against it as it continued to linger, "Who said courting couldn't involve some of that?" He pulled his finger from her lips letting their hands fall away as he leaned back in, nearly kissed her and just when her eye started to flutter slowly closed and she was sure she could have her way all around he spoke quickly, completely dashing any hopes she'd had for a fix, "You."

Before she was even aware of it, all the pressure of him holding himself against her was gone, her other hand released and a distance between them that was respective of his determination to make her regret the insistence on not moving right into the sex. He bent to retrieve her keys, holding them out to her as he smiled in dickish manner and motioned towards the street with this other hand, "After you." She held his eyes from under her brow, her expression accepting of his challenge as her smile mirrored his and she resituated her twisted shirt and hiked her purse back up onto her shoulder while she spoke in a playfully respectable tone, "Thank you."

She started down the three steps and had to fight to keep her game face unchanged rather then let her awe show as she took in the high polished sleek black paint of Damon's Ferrari parked on the curb which stopped her dead in her tracks. He crossed in front of her and pulled the passenger side door open as an all too satisfied smile flashed all the way up into his eyes while he held his hand out to her. Yes her frustratingly scrambled memory had served her right-his car was black, sexy, fast and foreign, so fitting.

* * *

He shouldn't have let her get away with that stunt she'd pulled earlier in the evening-she was his damn prey after all, she didn't get to call the shots. When she'd hindered his plan of satisfying his hunger for her by saying she needed courting he should have acted on his gut instincts that gave him two options: one, cut your loses, this chick isn't worth it, and get the hell out of here or two, proceed in the good old fashioned way of force and compelling. Damon was a predator, a highly sensitive, amazingly in tune hunter who could utilize one or several of his finely tuned skills to take what he desired. He could use the cloak of darkness to stalk her, could use his speed to catch her off guard and could use his strength, both physical and mental, to overpower her; it would have been painfully easy, she would have had no hope of fighting him off.

Yet, here they were, riding side by side in his Ferrari after he'd just treated her to an expensive dinner at a local Italian restaurant, having consumed an overpriced meal that did nothing to help his real hunger. It's not that he couldn't afford it, he could afford to fly her to Naples just for authentic cuisine at the finest villa with an endless amounts of their best fermented wines if he wished, it was that he'd actually given into her-he'd let his control slip.

That seemed to happen far too much for his liking with her, he constantly found his strength to resist her suggestive nature and raw appeal falling out from underneath him. He also found his strength to rein control of the situation back in faltering longer the more he was around her. He didn't much care for it, yet he had no desire to put distance between them-which he told himself was because he could easily take over her mind and dictate the outcome of their time together whenever he pleased. Yes, he decided that was exactly why he was ignoring every part of his instinct that told him she was unsafe for him to be around and that in the interest of survival it would be best for him to find someone else to feed from.

It was also why he'd allowed for their talk at dinner to be slightly exploratory on her part. He let her feel him out while she asked things to help her decide whether she wanted to keep him around for more then her own primal desires. Even when they were discussing things that were fitting of two people trying to get to know a little about the person whom they were repeating an escapade with she didn't pry, didn't ask for details other then those that were strictly crucial.

He'd asked some of his own subtle questions, trying to piece together what it was about her that kept him fixated as well, but he didn't pretend to be interested in the trivial things that most men who took women out on date were; because one, he wasn't anywhere close to being like most men and two, he wasn't entirely sure as to what it was he himself wanted from her. All he knew was that he needed her thick and glorious blood to fill his senses again soon, he had to try and decipher it's fascinatingly unique allure.

She leaned across the car towards him, breaking his concentration as she slid her hand up and over his thigh while she spoke in a tantalizingly sexual tone, "What do you have planned for me now?" "Oh the things I have planned for you are best left unsaid, it makes them all the more exciting when I spring them on you," he said holding her eyes as a devious smile spilled out onto his lips, exposing his teeth. He wanted to sink his teeth in her right now, it'd been far too long since he'd fed and the blood he'd consumed throughout the day had done damn near nothing to sooth the ache in his jaw in comparison to what she had to offer.

She smiled back, pleased that the courting she'd requested was almost at it's end-she wanted the normalcy of standard human etiquette yet he could see that darkness in her that she herself probably didn't even know the depth of. "Delicious," she said with intrigue as she flashed her own smile. "My thoughts exactly," he said as he ran his eyes over her, taking in the physically appetizing sight of her as the thought of how she looked exposed and naked at his disposal and the thought of her taste seeped back into his mind made his jaw throb.

He accelerated, pushing his car to respond to his reaction time so they could get to their destination quicker-he needed her. No, he didn't need anyone, he reminded himself as the desire for her forced a frenzy through him. The only need he had for her that of pure survival, he needed her life force nothing else. He didn't get attached, he wasn't Stefen. He ground this into his mind repeatedly, almost believing himself as they sped down the empty road that led to the boardinghouse.


	4. Morning Light

_**Amalgam**_

_Chapter 4: _

_Morning Light_

_

* * *

_

She awoke with the sensation of obscenely expensive silk wrapped around her bare skin, it was an amazing feeling, the smoothness of it slightly erotic as it touched ever inch of her naked body. She moved, letting it slip fluidly over her tired muscles, a clear indicator of another night of extremely rewarding activities and let a soft sigh pass through her lips.

She'd never awaken in this sort of luxury before, never had sheets that felt this lavish, which she knew meant she still in the company of her delicious, dark and posh companion. She opened her eyes slowly and took in the magnificent sight of Damon lying next to her, the sheets laying dangerously low on his cut stomach. He was absolutely marvelous, his lean but powerful muscle structure creating splendid cuts in the marble of his skin. It took ever ounce of her self control to keep from running her fingers along the lines of his body, but she rather liked how peaceful he looked laying there and she didn't want to ruin it.

She'd never seen him like this, never seen how serene he could be when he wasn't so busy being complicated. It was a rather intriguing sight, to see him with his guard down. She liked his guard, it was what gave him his dangerous and rough edge-but this unshielded being before her was just as sexy in her eyes. She could see goodness in him, something she was sure he would adamantly protest if she were to ever bring it up but it was there deep within the façade of callousness.

She'd made her life's study about reading people psyches and she wasn't humble enough to deny that she was pretty damn good at it. She saw a tenderness in Damon that he fought to stifle but it would slip out unexpectedly without his wanting it to, he was capable of much more then she knew most people saw. But there was a lot of pain in him as well, which is why it was so easy for him to shut people out and seem cold, it was his defense mechanism. And she was almost completely certain that most people were okay with the idea that he was nothing but darkness and cruelty and that no one really looked for the undertones.

He was absolutely dangerous and powerful, that wasn't a front but he was much more as well-she wondered if he had shut it out so viciously for so long that maybe even he had begun to believe that he didn't have it inside of him anymore. She saw it though and maybe, if they kept ending up in each other's arms night after night, she would slowly introduce it to him again. He was like her crow, a world renown dark and sinister creature that only a select few could understand and thus only a few could really experience his magic.

"You know despite how romantic they try to make it seem in the movies it's creepy to watch someone while they're sleeping," he said in a groggy tone that even in his lack of full conscientiousness held his signature bit in it. She laughed, slightly mortified by the fact that he'd caught her observing him. "I wasn't trying to be romantic dick," she said sitting up and throwing her pillow at him when his eyes opened and a playful smile arched on his lips exposing just a little of his teeth. He pivoted his weight quickly, more quickly then Morgan could register and had her pinned to the bed underneath his body before she could react. She laughed at the thrill of it and he wrinkled his nose momentarily as he lowered his arched lips to hers and held her eyes, his sparkling with mischief and his tone matching them, "Good because romantic isn't my thing."

"Oh no?" she said smiling against his lips as she arched her eyebrows. "No," he said in a breath before he kissed her. The kiss wasn't tender, but it wasn't carnal either, it was this healthy mixture of the two that had her head filling with a smoky fog. She let herself relish it, soaking up every drop of her new drug of choice until he'd decided she'd had enough-which was completely unfair because she didn't feel it was even came close to enough.

He pulled back, even though he himself seemed reluctant and held her eyes, his showing his clear struggle to keep his distance from her before he let his pride win and he fell back to the bed, releasing her-which she was saddened by, she loved the feeling of his hard body on hers. "So do you unromantically watch all the guys spend the night with?" he said trying to covey his protective impervious persona yet keeping his deliverance playful.

She laughed softly and turned towards him, holding his eyes as she constructed her face in a manner that matched his tone, "My ratio mirrors yours for the number of women you actually let spend the night when you've had your fill of them I'm sure." "So you mean to tell me I'm a rarity?" he said his response soaked with condescending undertones, even though she knew she was one of the select few to wake up next to him in his bed, he didn't favor intimacy on that level. "Absolutely, but then again you already knew that didn't you?" she said as she held his eyes and finally satisfied her urge to trace his muscles lightly with her fingertip. "Of course I did-I'm amazing," he said frankly as that devilish smile crept back across his perfect lips.

She flashed her own and slowly trailed her finger up to his lips, outlining them sensually as she watched the fluid arching movements she made while her response slipped out smoothly, "Yes you are." She let her finger linger on his skin for several breaths as her eyes slowly did a strategic sweep of his face, being sure to take in every single detail of it as they moved. Once she made it to the darkness of his eyes, she held them for another couple of breaths, marveling in the beauty of their onyx, gaining a new appreciation for the normally uninvited shade before she climbed over him to get out of the bed.

It was an intentional tease to remind him that she knew how amazing he thought she was without having to say it and it's success was clearly indicated by the way he watched her completely naked physique as she sauntered towards the door-less archway that led into the bathroom. She paused in the threshold to turn and look over her shoulder, holding his eyes as she spoke in her best steamy tone, "I hope you don't mind me using your shower but if you do: feel free to come and monitor."

And he didn't mind, yet once she'd stepped into the steady stream of the hot water, he slipped in to monitor her none the less. He monitored ever inch of her with his hands and once that was complete his lips did their own monitoring of her soft flesh.

* * *

He felt rather high-spirited this morning, his shower with Morgan had created a great beginning to his day and he found himself whistling an upbeat tune while he moved quickly down the stairs. This sort of sheer satisfaction was not a familiar sensation to him, it had been far too long since he'd felt it, so he let himself enjoy it as he moved towards the kitchen, his step light. He disregarded that faint nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him that he shouldn't let himself get so much enjoyment out of her, it was unrealistic and unreliable which was why he never got attached-he didn't have the stomach for it, it wasn't his thing.

He threw open the heavy hinged wooden door and didn't even let the sight of Stefen and Elena cuddling at the island break his stride or turn his stomach-even though most days it made acid pour into his mouth. "Brother, Elena," he said with a respective nod and dashing smile for each party as they pulled their gazes from each other and brought them to him. Stefen just watched him suspiciously, following his movements in a scrutinizing manner with his eyes, causing those all too prevalent worry lines in his brow and Elena recoiled slightly as she spoke in a surprised manner, her eyes and expression radiating an immense amount of disbelief, "Was that whistling I heard?"

He flashed a sarcastic smile as he poured himself a large mug of black coffee to keep his skin warm for his next bout with Morgan, "I'm sorry am I the only in this little trifecta who isn't allowed to be in good humors? Is miserable just supposed to be my eternal thing?" "Well you're…" Elena started unsure of how exactly to complete her response, her eyes searching as she made various hand movements in an effort to produce an answer. And true to form her gallant white knight swept in to rescue her from uncertainty and confusion, "Damon." His tone was flat and confident, as though it were the only logical ending to her retort. She snapped and pointed at him as she nodded as if he'd plucked it directly from her mind and expressed her thoughts perfectly when she herself could not.

"How adorable you guys can finish each others sentences, it's like your minds are connected, you're so Sonny and Cher. I'd say Bonnie and Clyde but Stefen truly lacks the aggressive flare and masculinity-you however Elena could do Bonnie spot on with the right man's guidance," he said his tone sarcastic and sharp holding Elena's gaze and winking at the end of his response as he spiked his coffee with whiskey to make it worth his wild.

Elena rolled her eyes, making the same forced annoyed facial expression that she did every time she pretended she wasn't interested in the idea of being with him. And Stefen nodded, not even responding to Damon's dig as he spoke in his classic accusing tone and he held his brother's gaze, his reeking of anger and hostility, "So what sort of mess have you made for me to explain away?"

"Now what makes you think I've done something you would disapprove of brother?" Damon said throwing his free hand up in comedic frustration as he constructed his face in a smug and shocked manner. "Well you're unsettlingly chipper demeanor this morning is something that is always in direct correlation with a missing person's report," Stefen said in a matter of fact manner as he smiled in an unimpressed way. "There can be no such report if you don't leave anyone alive to file it," Damon shot back just to get a rise out of his stuffy brother as a dangerous smile danced across his face and he leaned against the counter with an unaffected and calm demeanor.

"Damon," Elena said in a slightly hostile manner as she watched him contently, her eyes matched her expression that was soaked with distaste and her resolve to get to the bottom of this. "Elena," Damon said dragging her name out erotically as he sipped his coffee and held her eyes. She tilted her head slightly, pursed her lips and arched her brow as she held his gaze, her expression practically screaming 'come out with it.' He mimicked her change in stance, mirroring it perfectly, his gaze still locked on hers and when she narrowed her eyes, he did so as well knowing damn well it would grate on her nerves.

She let out a discouraged grunt and rolled her eyes, her expression going full out pissed at his lack of cooperation and just as his pathetic brother's name passed her lips in an irritated manner he straightened his posture and let out a sadistic laugh, "You guys are a bunch of fuddy-duddies, you should really learn to lighten up a bit-being so stiff all the time isn't good for your libido. I didn't do anything illegal last night, although it would have been nice, I behaved myself…well not really behaved, but relatively behaved as far as it's concerned, well I guess not really even relatively because some of it was ridiculous but who the hell is keeping track- I had a blast."

Elena's eyes drew tight, her expression completely lost as she floated her gaze between the brothers trying to decipher what it was that he had just said and checking to see if Stefen was any closer to figuring it out then her. Damon widened his eyes momentarily as he held Stefen's, smiling dangerously and then winking. Stefen's jaw tightened again and just before Elena interjected a statement of pure confusion Stefen spoke, his tone callous-which he was getting better at-, "Covering up your tracks isn't the same thing as behaving Damon." Damon sighed in defeat as he winced his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke in the tried tone a tutor might when his student just couldn't get a concept, "How many times do I have to tell you that it's not always about covering all your tracks, as long as you know exactly which ones matter most."

Damon's eyes fell on Stefen's as he nodded slowly and made a face as though he were contemplating the idea, his posture still screaming of anger, "So I take it your groupie made an encore performance last night huh?" "Yes she did-but don't worry baby brother, I made sure to clean up my mess with your towels so if you so choose you can take in the sweet scent of her blood and reminisce about the glory days when you were actually true to your self," he said smiling in a cut throat manner.

"Damon! What did you do?" Elena yelled in revulsion and as his eyes shifted swiftly. Stefen shook his head softly and ran a comforting hand down her arm as he spoke in a tone that was gentle, "He's just being an asshole Elena, don't worry he didn't kill anyone in the house last night."

"Bravo brother, your perception is superb today-have you been sneaking some of my personal stash when Elena wasn't looking?" Damon said sarcastically as he narrowed his eyes in an accusing manner before throwing up a dismissive hand when Stefen only shot him an irate look. "Don't fret my escort is alive-and quite frisky I might add, you should see the amazing things she can accomplish in a single person shower-" Damon started before Elena cut in with a disgusted spat, "How crass of you Damon you should be ashamed."

His eyes danced as he shot her a smile and spoke in an exhilarated tone, pleased to be under her skin, "Well aren't we snarky this morning dear sweet Elena." He paused long enough to receive her catty glare with a boisterous smile before continuing, "I was simply elaborating creatively on the fact that she is alive and well upstairs in my room, I did her no harm-you know the lack of faith the two of you have in me in quite disheartening."

"Whoa wait what?" Stefen said straightening his posture rigidly in response to his words as Elena watched him with confused eyes. "The beautiful Morgan Orfeo is very much alive and she would take offense to your badgering about my actions last night, she rather enjoyed the hours we spent together in my bed doing all the things the two of you are so against-and don't you judge me she was the one who told me to pull her hair, I was simply giving her what she wanted," he said knowing that wasn't what he was asking about, he just liked being facetious.

"Not that you vulgar bastard-" Stefen started hotly and Damon cut in with a smooth and appreciative, "Thank you" before letting him continue after a disapproving glare, "She is here?" "Yes," Damon said trying to sound confused and like it was a trivial piece of information-to Elena this might have worked but his damn brother knew better. "Really?" Stefen said in shock as he narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Would I lie about _that_," Damon said exaggerating the last word as he held his brother's eyes. "What? I don't get it, what's the big deal?" Elena said looking at each of them for an explanation. "There is no big deal," Damon cut in quickly with a stern tone, he didn't like where this was going.

"Elena love," Stefen said directing her attention away from Damon because he knew she would listen to him above anyone else and Damon felt a twinge of panic because he knew this couldn't end well. So he cut in with a threatening response to his brother's actions, "Don't." But Stefen continued as if Damon hadn't spoken at all, "When was the last time you remember Damon letting a girl stay the night?" "Don't," Damon repeated this time more forceful as he set his mug down and took a step towards him, this was causing anger to grow in his chest-it was not Stefen's place to psychoanalyze him, he had no right. But it was of no use, the two of them held each other's eyes and talked softly to each other as if he weren't even there, "Well…I don't know…I can't remember him ever…" "Because he doesn't, I can't recall a single time where he has before." "So are you saying-?" "I'm saying something very interesting is going on here, this Morgan must actually mean something to him." "Whoa did the world just spin off balance?"

"She doesn't mean a damn thing to me!" Damon spat out viciously as he slammed his fist into the countertop-great his happy morning was officially ruined. This loud boom jarred Elena, causing her to jump in response to it but Stefen turned his calm and mocking gaze to his brother as he spoke in a tone to match it, "Yes she does." "No she doesn't! I'll go up there and snap her neck to prove it! I don't get attached brother, I'm not that unintelligent," he said in a furious yet composed tone.

"It's not about ignorance," Stefen said not flinching. "Don't tempt me brother because I will rip her carotid wide open and let her bleed out in front of your precious Elena to shut you up," Damon said fiercely- he had to believe he could do it if he had to, he didn't want to hurt Morgan but if he had do it to survive he would, if it were him or her he would. He wasn't the bleeding heart kind, he was a stone cold killer, he was the brother that ran on animalistic instinct not the one who let people in-he was not weak.

"Stefen stop it, your putting her in danger!" Elena shrieked in horror, she at least believed Damon's cold and dangerous eyes-even if no one else in the room did. Stefen wanted to trust his instincts on this matter, but Damon had spent so many years proving him wrong that he couldn't be sure if pushing it further would jeopardize a human life-luckily Damon could still play on that. He held Damon's eyes for several moments, trying tediously to read him but Damon left nothing for him to read, just anger and instability so, Stefen pulled back and let Damon win.

It didn't feel much like a win, not even to someone as callous as Damon because he had to threaten Morgan's life achieve it, but he pushed that sensation into the back of his mind, unwilling to accept that there was something inside of him that made him regret his lack of compassion towards her. He demanded control over himself and forced back up his walls, making them higher and stronger then ever to keep even the slightest bit of weakness locked deep within himself. Elena thanked Stefen in a whisper and he kissed her brow softly, stroking her hair momentarily as Damon stewed. A thick silence hung between them, no one knowing what to say, not even Damon who normally filled voids such as these said a single word. He gazed out the window contently to keep from looking at Stefen because he wanted to rip his head off for ruining his mood and for even thinking that he knew what the fuck he was talking about.

Just when the stagnant tension in the room got almost unbearable for everyone in it the door swung open and Morgan's steady and steamy voice filled the space, dissipating the stillness abruptly, "I borrowed you shirt, hope you don't mind, but if you do I can always take it off-" She froze, gripping the bottom of one of his best black Italian silk dress shirts with one hand while she forced the top that had been open to expose the contours of her unsecured breasts in the other and stared in horror at Elena and Stefen. "I am so sorry I didn't know anyone else was here…never mind two anyone eleses. That was tacky and tasteless and I again am sorry-" she started in a quick and uneasy tone before Damon cut in, his tone matching hers when she entered, before Stefen and Elena ruined it, "Don't be: I thought it was extremely sexy and inviting."

She laughed nervously and continued to hold his shirt closed as she responded between her teeth that were gritted in a pageant smile, "You would, it was meant for you. Not everyone." Damon threw a dismissive hand over his shoulder as he crossed towards her, "They don't matter." "Well of course they do," Morgan said as she tightened her grip on the silk and shot a flustered and aggravated smile up to him when he stepped in front of her, "They are members of this household as well and I am not. I am a guest-an inappropriate, flamboyant guest who has made quite the first impression." "On the contrary I thought you're entrance was marvelous," Damon said in a sexy manner as he lowered his face to hers. "You would," she said laughing nervously again before she peered around him at the other two occupants of the room, "I don't know how to express how sorry I am for that. Honestly I am not that type of person."

"Don't worry about it" "It's fine" the two responded at the same time as they fidgeted nervously and searched for someplace safe to rest their gazes. "Yes you are," Damon said coaxingly. "Enough from you damn it," Morgan said shaking her head as another nervous laugh passed her lips and she hit his chest before addressing Elena and Stefen again, "I'm Morgan, Damon's uh…friend." "My very special friend," Damon said correctively looking down at her still. She hit him again as Stefen and Elena introduced themselves and quickly gave their relation to Damon, their only connection to Morgan. "Well it's nice to meet you both, despite the my nakedness-I'm uh... going to um... put my clothes back on…yeah, I should probably do that…yep…" she said stammering slightly before smiling nervously and turning back to the door and practically running through it as Elena and Stefen responded with "you too" in unison.

Damon didn't even have to turn towards them to know their was a smug look on Stefen's face so he kept his back to them and spoke to him as he exited, "I'm not you." As the door swung shut behind him he heard Stefen call after him, "Of course you're not" and he did his best to ignore it. He moved quickly up the stairs, unwilling to entertain the idea that Stefen was correct on the matter of Damon's feelings on Morgan-Damon didn't have any feelings beyond angst and the lack there of any others, it was part of being a hunter. He told himself that his following her was only driven by the desire to fulfill his needs not to do any amount of damage control.

He entered his room as she shimmied into the skin tight denim of her jeans, pulling them up and over her hips as she looked at him and shook her head, a smile sparking across her lips as she spoke, "That was awful." He crossed towards her, stopping when he was inside her aura, his eyes smoldering on hers, "No it was incredible." She laughed in an unconvinced manner and shook her head as she started to button her jeans and narrowed her eyes on his, "Correction: It would have been if you were the only one in the room, but since you were in there with them it was awkward and crass. I haven't had a first impression go that badly since the time I met one of my mom's boyfriends when I was sixteen and kicked in the door to read off my extensive list of why I needed birth control-which was actually a rather long list of the things I could do with it that were unwise to do without it. You know you'd think I'd have learned not to go flying into a room with some inappropriate exclamation when I saw them performing 6 on my list but true to form I managed to successfully make entire room of people uncomfortable again this morning."

"I wasn't uncomfortable in the least," Damon said as he trailed his hands down the sides of her body feeling the curves of her through the thin silk of his shirt, meeting hers as she pulled her jeans up higher on her hips. He intertwined their fingers, palms touching as he pressed his lips into hers, she arched her body towards him at first, pressing the lean length of it against his before she pulled their lips apart and spoke in a protesting and playful scold as she removed the pressure of her body from him, "Oh no you don't."

"Oh yes I do," he said in what was almost a growl as he closed the space she'd put in-between them with her withdraw and forced her closer to the bed. She turned her lips from his, forcing them to fall on her cheek as she laughed out her response, "No way, not with your brother and his girlfriend right downstairs."

He forced her completely onto the bed on her back underneath him holding their hands high above her head as he nibbled on the jaw line she'd exposed to him before speaking against it in a sultry tone, "They've been right downstairs or upstairs every other time." She struggled to keep her tone composed, fighting to keep her desire out of her voice as tried to wiggle away from him with no success, laughter still intertwining itself in her response, "Not to my knowledge any of those times." He kept moving along her jaw as he spoke, moving his way towards her ear, "I can make you unaware of it again if it suits you." His response had duel meanings: he could do it the human way and distract her with his actions or he could be true to his inner powers and compel away her recollection of Stefen and Elena completely-although he know that keeping them in her memory would make this slightly more exciting and dirty.

"Oh it suits me, but I have some nagging little voice that's telling me I should be a good girl and leave with what's left of my integrity," she said in breathy tone, satisfaction working it's way through her composure as her body arched instinctually towards him and her struggling faded in response to his mouth on her flesh. "Ignore it," he said in whisper against her ear as he mirrored the arch of her spine, pressing their bodies harder against one another and tightened his grip on her hands.

"I want to…" she said in almost a moan as he worked his teeth along her lobe. He did just a little more nibbling before he pulled away from her, pulling his chest from hers and studied the arches of her profile for several breaths, admiring the creamy white lines of it before she turned the brilliant emerald of her eyes to him as she spoke in a stifling whisper, "Convince me."

He let a dangerously intrigued smile break out as he leaned in to bring his lips to hers, he drug them across each other tantalizingly letting her think that that was the method he was going to use and just when she was raising hers invitingly to his, he pulled back and brought himself almost completely off of her. "I mind that your in my shirt, so it has to go," he said as his eyes trailed from hers, down to her lips, passed her chin to the supple flesh of her throat, lingering there for several strong pulsations beneath her skin before moving down through the valley of full chest that was exposed by the several open buttons at the top of his shirt. He watched the subtle rise and fall of her breasts as she took shallow breaths, the silk slipping away slightly on each inhale to only barely cover her nipples before slinking back in on each exhale.

He released her hands as he continued to watch this, his hands slipping up her arms slowly and sensually before coming to her shoulder and arching over the thin silk that partially covered her beasts. He moved his hands from the outside working smoothly towards the inside, the tips of his fingers moving onto the soft flesh just passed the edge of his shirt. He cupped what he could of her full chest momentarily making her breath hitch slightly as she leaned into his touch before he gripped the smooth black silk in his curled fingers and pulled forcefully outward.

The thin strands of silk that stitched the buttons to the shirt snapped easily with a small use of the strength he was capable of and her breath staggered in ecstasy as the fabric was torn from her torso, exposing it completely to him as she arched her back upward to offer herself. He smiled mischievously as he lowered his lips to her stomach and gripped her sides in his hands, pulling her skin to his mouth and a husky whisper crept out when they found each other, "That's more like it."

As he moved his way up her torso, tasting her tantalizing flesh, her fingers found his hair, pushing deep into it and gripping erotic handfuls of it as she encouraged him to continue. He did continue, up to her breasts kissing and nibbling the meat of one as he worked his way toward her nipple. And once he'd gotten to it he sucked into his mouth, twirling his tongue around it while sucking before biting it softly. She arched her chest towards his mouth and gripped his hair tighter and pulling on it passionately she moaned softly.

This made his jaw ache painfully, his teeth threatening to extend in preparation to feed from her. His breath quickened and he pulled his mouth from her breast and moved hastily to her neck that was angled with a dangerous arch towards him. His mouth was hungry and animalistic at first, his primal instinct telling him to rip through the soft skin and sink his teeth into the lush carotid to pull enough blood from her to satisfy the throbbing of them. But he summoned all of his control to force his canines to keep from exposing themselves, the pulsation of agony increasing dramatically in his jaw, radiating into his neck as he denied himself the sweet nectar of her and slowed his kisses down-making them sensual and gentle. He told himself it was because he wanted a more climactic experience when he finally gave into his need for blood, but something locked deep within the walls of his mind taunted him in a nagging dark little voice, exclaiming absurdly that he was begging for her forgiveness for the brash threat of destruction that he'd uttered against it earlier this morning.


	5. The Reality of the Matter

_**Amalgam**_

_Chapter 5: _

_The Reality of the Matter

* * *

_

She felt like she was in an extremely raw and sexual alternate universe where she was satisfied night after night by her dark and dangerous lover in every way she could never have imagined before him. They'd found each other ever single day, in various forms-alternating occasionally who was the aggressor-yet they never spent a single evening alone. They always wound up locked in a tangled mess of limbs and bare skin exchanging steamy kisses of an erotic and passionate nature.

It had been nearly two months of this and she was starting to believe that perhaps she was actually supposed to be like this with him, even though it seemed highly peculiar for her to exist in pure ecstasy day after day. She didn't fight against it, simply relished in it whenever she was given the chance to.

Her crow was always with her as well, her sightings increasing drastically as each day went on and when she was actually truly alone without either of them, she found herself to be very disheartened and the world seemed much lonelier a place. She was reluctant to admit it but she was rather dependant on her two dark creatures, each satisfying her need for company in very different ways.

She'd never needed anyone or anything other then herself, she'd always managed to survive entirely on her own and this new weakness of her was slightly unnerving. She found herself fighting against her dependence viciously, convincing herself that she could exist happily in solitude but whenever she caught the glimmer of blackness, whether it be of feather or leather, she felt her determination to be independent diminish rapidly and before she was even aware of it she was captivated by the iridescent danger of her fowl or she was melting into Damon's powerful embrace. And then nothing else mattered, she didn't care if she spent forever relying on either of them for strength, she was completely content with their presence in her world.

It was complex and infuriating for her, yet she got some sort of forbidden thrill from their existence with her. Each giving her a deliciously explosive drive to live for something other then herself-like her purpose in life was to exist for something much greater then anything she could have imagined before. So, how could she not soak up this sensation, how could she deny herself the rapture of her new found drive? How could she want to do anything other then explore this darkness for her true meaning, so that she could find out what it was that she was created to do?

Her inner examination of her new psyche was interrupted by the sensation of Damon's hand sweeping her long hair away from her as he buried his face in her neck, placing small nibbles on the side of her throat. She hadn't even heard him approach her, hadn't caught even a glitter of his intoxicating aroma on the wind before it was engulfing her. He had a dangerously delicious knack for sneaking up on her and catching her when she wasn't prepared to fight for her control that was more and more fleeting every time they saw each other. She was determined that one day he would fail at slipping smoothly into his spot beside her and she would be in tuned enough to actually unsettle his footing for once-even though the thrill of the unexpected with him was very appealing to her.

"Hello you," she said in a steamy whisper as her breath hitched at the feeling of his mouth on her throat and the exhilaration of their intimacy at a picnic table in the center of the crowded quad at her college, a thousand curious eyes on them. It made their exchange of closeness even more exhilarating. "Mmm, hello," he said his erotically smooth voice holding a hint of true satisfaction from ingesting the taste of her skin.

She turned her face towards him, their lips slipping fluidly on to each other as darkness slipped into her mind, chocking out any sense of control she swore she'd have the next time they were together. His hands found her hair, pushing deeply into the thickness of her long dark curls, and pulling her deeper into their kiss. The pen in her hand fell to the table and she found herself reaching for him: she wanted to run her hands over his chest or to explore his defined shoulders through the smoothness of his leather jacket-she just wanted to touch him somewhere.

She felt herself giving up so easily and completely to him without any resistance and it made her will snap back into place. She struggled against the dark fog in her mind, pushing it back with ever bit of her strength, demanding some level of power even though she loved the feeling of having him drive her ever movement. She pushed through the fog enough to pull their lips apart as her hand pushed against his chest, her nails digging into the thin material of his shirt. "I have to do my work," she said in a reluctant and weak voice, her control still a weak and feeble version it what it needed to be.

"No you don't," he said tightening his grip in her hair and pulling her lips back into his. She didn't struggle at first, let herself get a healthy dose of his intoxicating presence as it filled her senses-she let herself feel his sculpted chest beneath her hands, let his scent fill her lungs and let the delicious taste of his smooth tongue electrify her taste-buds. The fog in her mind thickened and when she finally noticed how heavy it was it took ever bit of resolve to resurface but it was just enough, even if only barely, and she separated their lips again.

"Yes I do," she said not even having enough strength to open her eyes after all the fighting it took to pull against her desire to let him win. He sighed, resting his forehead on hers while her nails dug back into his shirt. His hands softened in her hair, going tender as he let her have a bit of the control that she knew he knew he could completely demolish if he tried. He stroked her hair softly as he pulled away, held her eyes and leaned back, giving her the space they both needed if they were going to behave themselves. He let his hands fall from her, as he pivoted away from her and leaned on the table with the his elbows watching her with a smile, "So what is it we are studying today? Anatomy? I do love anatomy, I would be willing to be a reliable studying tool for anatomy if you would like me to be."

"Of course you would and when I do study that I'll be sure to seek you out to take you up on that highly appealing offer but-" she started with a naughty smile and he cut in with a smooth and delicious response his smile just as suggestive, "Tonight then, my house say eightish. Or we could do it at your place, you know away from the possibility of a noisy little brother interrupting our studies, either way is fine with me as long as there is an obscene amount of anatomy being explored."

"That's fine," she said shaking her head as she let a playful smile part on her lips, "but either way right now I'm working on my thesis paper." He groaned in disapproval as he narrowed his eyes in distaste and scrunched his face, "That sounds like a dab in comparison to my suggestion." She laughed and flipped him off as she continued as though he hadn't interjected his objection, "I got the idea from a new friend of mine: It's on the power that animal totems have on the psychological development of culture driven individuals. What is your take on the crow?" He recoiled slightly his expression confused as he narrowed his eyes, "Crows?" "Yes, crows," she said smiling at his response as she turned towards him, pulling her one leg up to fold it half Indian style on the bench in between them.

"Well they are dark and deceptive flesh eaters that are clear omens of danger and ill will and it's probably in your best interest to stay away from them," he said matter-of-factly as he held her eyes, communicating his feelings on them with more then just his words. "See," she said pointing to him as she smiled wildly, excited by how stereotypical his response was. "See what?" he said smiling in an lost manner as he shrugged. "You're psychological response to them is a product of you're superstitious upbringings about them. Don't feel bad though just about ever single culture shares your reasoning, hell there's been stories and movies that correlate perfectly to your beliefs," she said rubbing her hands together in excitement as she smiled viciously, she was so excited to be able to bounce her thesis off someone who was in the general negative opinion of the fowl.

"It's because it's right Morgan, crows aren't lovable, cuddly creatures their bad news and you shouldn't take a liking to them," he said tightening his jaw, his eyes showing clear warning. "No they're not," she said smiling as she shook her head, "if you read scriptures about crows written by the Cherokee Indians they are magical creatures of great intelligence." He nodded to this, pouting his beautiful lips as he looked up contemplating the notion, "Okay I can see that but still no good for anyone who makes company of them-death lingers around them constantly, they actually seek it out, how can you find that an alluring or romantic idea?"

"Death is everywhere Damon you can't shy away from it, their driven by self-preservation and they have a keen foresight for danger and an amazing ability to adapt to and endure any situation-they are the ultimate symbol of survival and strength through knowledge, how could I not find that enticing?" she said raising a questioning hand as she searched his eyes.

He narrowed his searching hers and leaned in closer to have a better look inside her psyche, brushing a loose strand of her dark hair out of her face so he could truly see her. He tilted his head slightly as he read into her and spoke in a dangerously intrigued and pleased tone, "There's a little bit of darkness in you isn't there?" "Maybe," she said in a soft laugh as her eyes did their own searching in the sleek onyx of his, "and there a little bit of light in you isn't there?" He narrowed his eyes and constructed his face in an unconvinced way, "I doubt it." "I know it," she said softly but with much certainty.

He shook his head as he fell back onto his elbows and made that unfalteringly unconvinced face again, "You're wrong." "I say I'm not," she said closing the space between them some as she leaned in to hold his eyes adamantly with her own, "I say you're like my crow." "Oh you have a crow," he said sarcastically as he flashed a playful smile, "How did I miss this detail? Do you keep him in a black steel cage in the same room where you lock up all the other dark things about yourself that you don't want people seeing?"

She made her own cynically impish smile as he tried to deflect the topic from himself, she knew he did take openly to talking about himself when it wasn't about his obvious traits, "Metaphorically perhaps, but in reality I do indeed have a crow that I call mine. He comes to me sometimes, a lot recently, and even lets me touch him on occasion but mostly he just watches me, in a profoundly protective way actually."

"That's absurd, crows don't let people touch them," he said shaking his head his tone slightly standoffish and defensive. "Mine does, he's a very special crow. Most people are scared of him and maybe with good reason-" she started before he cut in fluidly and with much determination, "Very good reason." She smiled softly and brushed her hair out of her face as she closed the space between them further and continued her thought, "but I'm not. I'm a little dark remember? So he doesn't scare me and he's drawn to me like I am to him and maybe he doesn't even understand why he trusts me but he does, enough to let me touch him even though he probably shouldn't." "No he shouldn't," Damon interjected with frustration as he held her eyes strongly, "You'll be his downfall."

"Maybe I'll be his greatest uplifting," Morgan retorted, knowing they weren't only talking about the crow, it was a defensive cover for discussing Damon himself-her other crow. "He has to know better then that," Damon said smoothly. "Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't care, maybe for some reason that he himself doesn't understand I'm worth it to him. Maybe he needs me more then he wants to admit," she said with just as much evenness. "Maybe he just needs you for very basic things," he said his tone masked with callousness, but she knew better. "Maybe that's all he wants himself to believe he needs me for, maybe that's his self-preservation talking," she said never faltering, when most woman would let their egos be deflated and wounded.

He held her eyes steadily as he studied them for answers to what was running through his own mind and she practically saw the heavy stone walls around him crumbling for her alone for a brief period before he protectively erected them again and smiled in a slightly broken manner and spoke in a calculatedly cold tone, "I doubt that, I'd say it was more of a realistic truth then you want to accept. But if I'm wrong about your crow then you should probably be very careful what you do with his trust of you considering it goes against ever deep seeded survival instinct he has."

"Of course," she said adamantly but with a tender overtone. He held her eyes and deciphered the integrity of her statement before his defensive instincts spiked and he attempted to make their previous conversation about nothing but the actual fowl who watched her, "Now if I were a crow I'd be bad ass and I'd be the reason they had such bad names." "Maybe," she said nodding softly as she pulled back and studied him. "Definitely," he said smiling in a dangerous manner as he studied her. "But not with me, with me you'd be the same as my crow. You'd be just as drawn to me as he is and just as protective of me when you were watching: wouldn't you be?" she said leaning back in, closer then she had any other time. He tightened his jaw, slightly angered by her deferment of his projection, he didn't want to talk about whatever weakness for her he had, he didn't like it and she could tell it worried him: she should have backed off so as to procure the certainty of their continued togetherness, whatever it was, but she felt she had to push him a little to make sure they moved forward with this. He narrowed his eyes slightly twice and then spoke finally, his tone collected, "I doubt it. I'm much more of the dark omen type and it would be wise of you remember that."

She didn't let his stone wall he slammed into her face break her drive, she just simply knew that it was wise of her to stop pushing him so hard psychologically today. So she nodded acceptingly and smiled softly, "I guess it's that little dark part of me that likes it." "I guess it is," he said smiling his best dangerous smile, amusement flashing through the darkness of his eyes-he liked that dark part of her, it correlated so nicely with the obscurity he let overtake his light. She knew that's what the draw he didn't want to admit he had to her was about, their intertwining inner shadows.

He let her eyes study his deeply for several more breathes before he flashed a brilliantly perfect smile that showed much mischief, "Let's move onto something less tired then your crow, like perhaps our plans for our anatomy lesson tonight." She arched her brows at him in pleasure as she smiled invitingly and let the subject rest for the time being, "Absolutely." He leaned up into her again, speaking as they held each other's eyes from a sensually appealing closeness, "Now the only real technicality we have to determine is whether you'd rather your screams be stifled in the silk of my sheets or would you prefer we ruin another set of yours. Either way I foresee their being screaming involved." "Isn't there always?" she said in a sultry whisper as she smiled in a pleased manner. "Of course," he said as though that were an insane question that didn't really need answering. "Then I say it doesn't matter where you make me scream as long as I do," she said as she pressed her hands to the bench and pushed herself into his space further while a wicked smile arched on her lips that were pressed to his.

His hands found her thick hair again, pulling forcefully back on it to put space between them as he narrowed his eyes on hers and smiled his own devilish smile, "There's that darkness that you only show me." She smiled in a sinisterly as she held his eyes in a smoldering manner, "You're the only one who could really appreciate it." He sucked in a deep breath through his teeth as he pulled her hair just a little bit more, "You couldn't be more right about that. And appreciate it I do." "Show me," she said raising a single brow as she arched her body towards him so their lips got closer despite his hold on her hair. His eyes danced in a dark and enthralled way as he let a nefarious smile light up his face in a malicious manner before he slammed his mouth hot and hard against her-ahh there is was: that dark, hypnotizing fog that she absolutely refused to fight against this time.

* * *

They ended up at his house, deciding that the spaciousness of his room offered a world of possibilities that were unachievable at her place; plus she had many more neighbors then he did who weren't all going to be as tolerable of their noise as his brother and Elena had no other choice but to be. Their anatomy session had started out with rather risqué role play of the struggling student and the adamant professor-of which Damon's extensive knowledge on the subject and Morgan's eagerness to learn landed them their respective parts-but the heat of their energies mixing turned it into a rather powerful escapade of passion and roughness.

She laughed wildly when he picked her up, spinning her in a complete circle before slamming her against the wall. The sheer satisfaction in her moan as he did and then not so gently racked his teeth against her throat and lowered her enough to slam deep inside of her again had the animal in him demanding to be fed. He'd found it harder and harder to fight back his urges to drain her before completely satisfying her need for sexual pleasure as their romps grew more and more frequent. Usually he waited until she was shivering with rapture, her mind a muddy haze of ecstasy, before he sank his throbbing teeth into her. Normally it was her femoral because not even he could deny the raw sexuality of feeding from here, plus it didn't involve nearly as much covering up as feeding from her carotid did.

He had been feeding her small amounts of his blood for going on two weeks now, which he explained away as keeping her healthy and unaware of his biting due to the advanced healing her consumption of it provided for her. But some part of him knew it was a rather pleasurable thing for him to have her drink from him, almost as connecting and sensual as feeding from her, and that she was always much more protected as long as she had his blood mixing with hers. It helped him keep tabs on her, he had a link to her from the moment he consumed her blood but when she had his, their link was incredibly stronger. He could sense her emotions when he channeled in on her from far away, being sure that she was okay when he couldn't watch her as the crow. His desire for this was rationalized out as him protecting her blood, in the way a farmer builds electric fences to keep wolves away from his beef and dairy cattle-but he knew there was more to it then that, although he refused to acknowledge how much more.

And then there was the nifty little fact that should someone incredibly stupid or something awfully unstoppable end her life, she wouldn't be lost to him completely; she would wake shortly and he would guide her to her first feeding. Now this was something he rarely thought about, because he knew there was no explaining away his desire to keep her with him-it was just utter weakness, which was something he denied even existed. Yet, he couldn't get enough of her, he found himself seeking her out every single day, spending hours of his time and an obscene amount of energy on her. She'd infected him with this powerful need for her, that despite what he wanted to believe, didn't revolve entirely around her blood. Yet the fact that all their evenings ended with the same primal act of feeding kept him lying to himself.

And tonight was no different, the dreadfully excruciating ache in his jaw was an indicator that he would yet again have to reach into her mind and erase the memory of what he was capable of. He didn't much care for taking it away from her, because she never truly understood what exactly was going on most nights seeing as he was careful to conceal as much of it from her as possible, especially as the incidents grew more frequent and his desire to compel her flickered slightly. However, in this very moment he wasn't too positive he could fight back his thirst as long as he'd like. So, he made a conscious effort to keep his eyes from hers as he struggled to retract his fangs knowing the darkness that formed in the white of his skin around them when his fangs were out for feeding would give him away.

But that is when she did something she'd never done in a situation such as this, she grabbed his face in her hands and pulled his lips to hers, catching him completely off guard and hindering his use of strength to resist her pull. That's when her breath hitched frantically in her chest and her eyes took in for the first time his true form. He dropped her to her feet and ripped away from her viciously as he turned his face from hers, in an extremely late attempt to conceal himself. He didn't want her to see this, didn't want her to know what he was, didn't like the idea of having to strip it from her conscious mind although at that very moment his instincts were screaming for him to lock his eyes on her and compel her unfaltering understanding and a lack of fear that would allow him to continue what she'd just ruined.

"Look at me," she said suddenly, her breathing irregular and her voice shaking slightly. "No!" he said sternly as he fought against his bloodlust, refusing to turn towards her until he had. "Damon, let me see you. I just want to see you, whatever you are-I'm not scared," she said struggling to compose herself through the raggedness of her breaths. "You should be!" he shout over his shoulder fiercely as he continued to try and deny himself the lust for her blood so he could turn back into the person she thought she knew. "But I'm not! You won't hurt me," she said her tone much more collected now.

He spun quickly towards her, the darkness still surrounding his eyes in a menacing and demonic manner, his fangs still fully exposed and slammed her into the wall not even attempting to mask his speed, "You are stupid to think that! That is what I do Morgan! The sole purpose of my existence is to drain the life out of people just like you! It is what I have done for a century and a half: I hunt and kill in ways you can't even phantom! I am a cold blooded murder who's taken so many lives that it's inconceivable that there is anything righteous left in me that would spare you."

She held his eyes, hers steady as she spoke in a stronger tone then ever before, "But you won't hurt me. You don't want me dead or I already would be." "Maybe," he said bringing his gritted teeth close to her face, "I just haven't decided how to kill you yet." He wanted her to be scared of him now, needed her to understand the danger that he posed to her. "Bullshit," she said leaning into him, her eyes unwavering and her tone angry. She must have been certifiable, he deduced, to completely disregard her own well being by openly rejecting the notion that this perfect predator that had his teeth within reach of her throat and who could stifle any force she tried to use against him without even flinching would hurt her.

That darkness in her that gave her the strength to stand against him in light of the awful animal he was glimmered across her eyes, exciting him on a level that was far beyond anything he'd ever felt before. But he had to be sure she could really live with the truth of what he was, had to push her even farther, to a point that would have no return if she broke, just to be certain that he didn't need to control her mind just to protect his own life. He held her eyes, speaking in a dark and sinister growl between his still exposed and partially gritted teeth, "Is it? I can practically hear your mind screaming for you to run away and save yourself. I can feel your muscles shaking and tensing as your body prepares itself for the sprint that will not even come close to being fast enough to get away from me. I can hear your heart racing, slamming into your ribs so fiercely it threatens breaking them and making your blood coarse so rapidly through your veins that a single bite into your carotid would send it flooding into my mouth at such a rate that I'll have my fill of you in seconds. I'm a the most dangerous and perfect predator that exists, you could never escape me if you wanted to- I'm too fast, too strong and too perfectly tuned to kill."

She swallowed coarsely and he thought it was from utter terror but when she leaned her face closer to his and spoke firmly he realized it was just so she could speak clearly and with great force, "Does the sound of my blood excite you?" He slammed his fist into the wall beside her head, causing the drywall to crumble beneath the force of it and he growled his response in her face, "This isn't the time for mockery not when at the rate your heart is pounding it would cause you to bleed out within minutes!" She didn't flinch just clenched her jaw before licking her lips and speaking in a calm tone, "Would you really waste it that way?" He slammed the wall again this time out of frustration not for intimidation and turned away from her as he racked his hands through his hair. Why wasn't she scared, why was she antagonize him?

"Well would you?" she said sternly as he struggled to gain control of this whole situation, her darkness that empowered her was driving him almost insane with desire. Could she really be that perfect for him? "No!" he screamed as he pulled at his own hair. "Then I am not scared of you," she said with ease and conviction. He couldn't believe her, she was dark and powerful-she was amazing.

He turned towards her, completely doubt founded by the acceptance that emanating in her tone, the lack of fear. She had crossed towards him and she ran her careful eyes over his face as they stood within reach of one another. She took another step towards him and he held her eyes, watching for any hint that she was changing her mind so he could control the situation. But she tilted her head softly and raised her steady hands to his face, trailing them softly down from the darkness under his eyes to his lips. She started in the center, arching her thumbs over the fullness of them causing him to separate them as he drew in a sharp breath exposing his teeth. She cupped his face gently in her hands and ran her thumbs down the length of them, her eyes seeming darker then normal as she took in the feel of them, her expression showing only admiration and intrigue.

She had all the receptors in his brain firing at once, a symphony of electricity that he'd never experienced before as she drew her eyes up to his and she spoke in a soft tone, but the words more sensual then anything else, "Is this what I do to you?" "Yes," he said in a breathy manner as her fingers lingered on his lips again. Her darkened eyes smiled slightly at the thought of causing this sort of primal reaction as she leaned up into him, pressing her body to his as she still held his face. She kept her movements slow and sensational as she kissed the tips of his fangs tenderly and the raw pleasure of it caused his breath to hitch.

She smiled softly and let her hands fall from his face, her eyes still smoldering with desire as she moved slowly backwards towards the bed. He watched her in fascination and sheer confusion but when she motioned him in a sensual come hither manner a sharp stab of pain radiated through his jaw again and he winced from the discomfort.

He was pressed against her in an instant holding her body against the bed with his own, his hand gently cradling her face as he looked into her eyes. She turned her lips towards his palm, kissing it tenderly before raising her own to his face slowly. She studied him for a moment longer, brushing the hair from his forehead before circling his eyes softly again. Her touch had him sighing in pleasure and his eyes drifting shut momentarily and when he reopened them she tilted her head again and smiled sweetly up at him as she held his face softly. Her eyes were perfectly linked with his, the connection between them strong and loving as she spoke with a gentleness that you wouldn't expect from someone who just found out they were spending all their time with a life sucking demon who's primal instinct told him to kill, "I want to sustain you, feed from me Damon-I am not scared, I trust you."

Her words made an electric current course through him, causing his fang to lengthen even further as he drew his lips back to expose them, sheer desire pulsating through his mind. She let her hands slip down from his face, her one thumb catching his lower lips softly as it passed and she arched her neck towards him as she turned her face to the side. He wanted her to know how much this meant to him, wanted her to understand how this made him feel-how she made him feel when he wasn't fighting against it any longer. So, he moved his hand from her cheek and gripped her chin softly in between his thumb and pointer finger. He turned her face slowly back to him, holding her eyes as he pressed his lips softly to hers, their kiss gentle and affectionate, no raw hunger in it-only a sort of love he hadn't known he was capable of anymore.

She smiled against his lips softly, acknowledging that she could feel his gratefulness, although he was sure she didn't truly understand the depth of it quite yet. He held her eyes for several long moments, communicating his feeling with her that he couldn't say out loud. He wanted to express them to her with words but it wasn't how he worked, that would take practice and he knew if he vocalized it she could use it's power against him-which he wasn't ready to put in her hands quite yet.

So, he said tenderly in his mind that he was sorry that he might hurt her and that he wasn't sure how it'd happened yet but that he was falling in love with her before he turned her face away from him gently and angled her neck perfectly towards his mouth. He kissed her skin very softly once, making her body tremble slightly in pleasure and anticipation, before he sank his teeth into it, being careful to cause her as little discomfort as possible. Her breath hitched in pleasure and him knowing that it wasn't from fear and that she was offering herself to him out of love made the way her hot and thick blood pumped into his mouth all the more exhilarating.

He didn't think it was possible, and perhaps it was just his weak and confused love stricken mind playing tricks on him, but her offered blood seemed even sweeter then he remembered. That special component of it that he couldn't place was heightened dramatically and it made his whole body tingle with pleasure. He drew it harder from her, being sure not to make it painful as he tried to satisfy his immense appetite for her. But no matter how much he pulled into him, it never seemed to be enough, worse so tonight then any other and he was careful to monitor her heart rate and breathing as he feed, being sure he wasn't taking too much at one time for her body to handle.

When he was sure she couldn't give much more without jeopardizing her safety, he pulled back and sank his teeth into his own wrist. He pulled them out after ripping the skin open, finally let his teeth retract as he took a small amount of his blood and messaged it gently into her wounds. The holes closed slowly, leaving only faint marks of what had just been there and he ran his tongue softly over her neck, cleaning all the smeared blood away. She ran her hand over it tenderly and looked up at him in amazement as she realized the punctures were gone.

She studied him, completely aware that he didn't have to do that and that that meant something deep and complicated, that he was healing her, taking away the pain of an open wound. She cupped his face softly again and brought her lips to his, in complete disregard of the fact that her own blood was lingering on them. She kissed his passionately, utterly unchanged by the act that was just committed, accepting it out of love.

He pulled away, not because he wanted to but because he wanted her to take his blood so that she wouldn't feel the physical effects of the amount she had given him and because he wanted the comfort of knowing he was just as much a part of her as she was him. He looked at his wrist quickly, realizing that the wound he'd created for her neck was closed and quickly extended his fangs to sank his teeth into it again, reopening the steady flow of the healing elixir of his crimson blood.

He turned his wrist to her, bringing it close to her mouth and she didn't pull away, she just held his eyes in a confused manner. "Drink love, I took a lot of blood so now you need mine to keep from being sick," he said in a genuinely tender tone that he hadn't used in a very long time.

She trustingly pressed her lips to his wrist, pulling softly from it as she held his eyes. They sparked with intrigue and pleasure and her pull became harder, the sweetness and power of his own blood coursing into her. "Good. Yes," he said softly as he stroked her hair lovingly and kissed her brow before continuing in a gentle tone against it, "Now I am with you as well."


	6. Changes

_**Amalgam**_

_Chapter 6: _

_Changes_

_

* * *

_

Vampire: Morgan still chocked slightly on the word in her own mind when she thought it. It was an insanely incredible notion, something that seemed to be from a storybook or horror movie not something that was her reality. Yet here she was, laying in his arms, her neck that had been pierced so that he could drink from her only minutes ago was perfectly healed and the intoxicatingly sweet taste of his powerful blood still lingering on her taste buds, dancing in electric manner across her tongue.

It'd been just nearly two months since the night when she truly saw him for the first time, the night that should have made her deny him, should have scared her senseless. But she had seen the darkness that spread like black halos around his eyes and she hadn't been scared, she'd been intrigued. She had always known there was something dangerous and powerful about him that far surpassed anything she'd seen in any other soul she'd ever met, but she had never truly grasped how right she had been until that night.

"So can it work backwards, like can you compel me to remember all the stuff you so narrow-mindedly, and selfishly might I add, took away from me back before I knew?" she said as she rolled onto his stomach and laid on top of him, propping her elbows on his chest and resting her chin on her hands as she held his eyes. "No," he said laughing softly as drew his arms around her bare waist and held her against him. "Well that's crap! Are you sure? Because I'd figure you never really tried it before. I mean you wouldn't go through all the trouble of poking around so rudely in someone's mind if you thought for even a moment that one day you'd want to undo it," she in her best disputant voice.

"I have 150 years of experience with all things related to Vampirism that tells me something as powerful as mind control isn't something that comes with an 'undo button'," he said as a slightly arrogant smile arched on his lips. "Ha!" she said pointing at him in triumph, "You don't know for sure, you're just taking an educated guess. So, it is plausible that it might actually be a possibility. I mean all things considered it's not the most far fetched idea-you have a ring that lets you walk in the sun for Christ's sake, so why is an 'undo button' such a crazy notion?" She even went as far as to throw up hypothetical quotations as she uttered the concept's newly coined name and smirked at him.

"Well I guess-" he started slowly, his tone sort of uncertain, before she cut in. "See there is doubt in your words now-no more cool and collected sexy voice, just an awkward, unsure but still unbelievably sexy voice-and with doubt stems research! Lucky for us, you've poked around inside my head and taken away things that you really shouldn't have so I'll be your test subject. So come on, we'll start small, try compelling me to remember the first time," she said her mannerism going slightly scattered with excitement as she repositioned her chin on her hands and leaned her face closer to his before speaking again, "Go ahead try- do you creepy little vamper mind control thingy and give me back my memories…please."

She held his eyes contently for several breaths as his floated back and forth over hers, studying them and since she really didn't have any experience with this she thought he might be humoring her, although she didn't feel any different-had she missed it? But when his eyes finally adequately gauged her sincerity he let out a boisterous laugh that she knew meant he thought she was off her rocker. She drew her brow tight in frustration and she let out a annoyed growl as she balled one of her hands into a fist and punched his chest, which of course hurt her way more then it did him-she hadn't really thought that out fully-and his chest heaved even harder in laughter as she glowered at him and shook her hand, "Owwwwah! Fucker! Come on stop being a dick and give it a shot damn it!"

"Oooh language Ms. Orfeo," he said trying his hardest to seem offended as his truly amused smile widened. "Well there's really no other word besides dick to describe you right now," she said hotly as she narrowed her eyes. He narrowed his playfully back at her, closing the space between their faces slightly as he spoke in a smooth tone, "What about fucker? I remember that one too." She huffed in frustration and rolled her eyes before speaking in a tried voice, "Fine you're right, you're a dick fucker. Are you happy now? Can we move onto the part where you actually humor me and do as I ask please?"

He held her eyes for several more moments, his smile slowly relaxing as he read the pure determination and irritation in her gaze. "Please," she said softening her tone as she realized that he was bending slightly. He sighed in defeat, which made a smile arch slightly on her lips but before she could even utter a word of victory he had her flipped, her back pressed hard against the silk of the bed as she lay underneath him. He held himself up on his hands, which were positioned on either side of her head and lowered his dark eyes to hers very slowly-the connection between them creating their signature arch of black electricity.

He held his face so close that their noses nearly touch, just sending shockwave after shockwave of their dark current coursing into her as his jaw tensed. There was nothing but their obscure energy passing between them for several minutes; she didn't want to break the link, didn't even want to chance speaking and ruining this. His voice was low and precarious when he finally spoke, the dark sinfulness of it warping around her mind and intensifying the power that was still flooding into it from him, "Do you really want me in there?" "You've already almost the only thing in there anyhow," she said with her own wicked undertones. "But having me really in there strumming through it's cords with my Power is much different, much more confiding and hindering," he said pulling back slightly before closing back in to emphasize his final three words.

"I don't care," she said leaving even less space between them by moving her face a fraction closer to his as her eyes remained unfaltering. "Why?" he said in an almost impassive and hard tone. "Because you took _my_ memories and thoughts away without my permission and I want them back," she said her tone just as strong and tittering on the edge of angry. "Why?" he said seemingly unchanged. "Because you got to keep yours and take mine and that inequitable," she said showing her teeth slightly. "Life isn't fair love-the portion of eternity I've experienced made that quite clear," he said frankly and with a detached mannerism. "No it's not, but you get to remember every single moment of that verity so aren't I entitled whatever memories I choice to keep?" she said just as callously as him.

"Why do you want to remember so badly?" he said his tone reeking of confusion beneath it's cold exterior. "Why are you so set on me forgetting?" she shot back with a cruel smoothness. "Because what if you remember fear?" he said with a helplessness that anyone else would have missed in his obscurity. "I couldn't be scared of you," she said softly, her tone catering to his worries by going gentle and reassuring. "What if you were then, what if you were terrified?" he said flashing the white of his teeth through his curled lips as he spoke in a menacing manner. "It wouldn't change a thing about now. I have a darkness about me, remember?" she said softy at first but finishing with a smile that matched her final question.

He held her eyes for several long breaths before he spoke with a sort of breathy brokenness that made it clear that these words were hard for him to speak aloud, "What if I can't give them back to you?" Her response was coddling and her eyes went gentle, "Then I'll be just fine with what you've let me keep, I just need to know you tried." There was a stillness between them that was heart wrenching as she watched him torment over his options, weighing the pros and cons subconsciously. And just when she was about to pull her demands off the table just to save him from his own psychological pain he spoke, completely cutting her off with his smooth and quite tone that had gained it normal confidence back, "Fine I'll try but whatever the outcome is I need you to promise me that you and I will be just what we are now." She smiled softly at his affections for her, knowing it was difficult for him to express them, and spoke in gentle tone that was resolute from her own admirations, "Forever just like this." "Forever is a very long time to pledge," he said sounding mildly saddened by the realization of her impermanence in his foreseeable perpetuity. "And eternal unity is a matter for greater discussion for the future," she said honestly, knowing that some day she alone and then them as a couple would have to deliberate her own mortality. She knew what she wanted, knew what she could not imagine losing but she also knew that it was irrational to even contemplate forever when he couldn't even openly promise her now quite yet-there was much work to be done.

His eyes smiled in response to her words, but true to the walls that were towering around him he fought to keep his expression unaffected. He took a deep settling breath, channeling all his Power like he'd explained and spoke softly in his original language, the music of Italian words flooding over her and carrying a passionate and powerful desire with them as he held her eyes, "Mia buia principessa….tutti miniera."

She felt her control slip fluid through his fingers then, her strength completely surrendering into the onyx of his eyes that glimmered in dreamy manner like a dark sky full of stars, each solitary diamond possessing a power so mystifying that she couldn't decide where to look first. She struggled to take in the brilliance of them all at once, denying none of them the attention they demanded and righteously deserved. And just when she thought she might actually be succeeding at teaching herself to admire them all in unison, they vanished-all burning out simultaneously and cloaking the world in darkness.

Her breath caught viciously in her throat and there was an pain in her chest that made her feel as though she hadn't taken in air in an extensive amount of time, her lungs bleeding from the need for oxygen. She gasp, forcing as much air as she could into them, demanding that they have their fill and Damon constricted his eyes in astonishment and something she'd never seen in them before-terror. His eyes were searching her frantically for any indication of harm as his voice shook out before going infuriated, "What happened? Are you okay? Morgan your lips are blue! What the fuck did I do? I told you not to push me, I told you it was dangerous but you don't listen! Why are you so damn stubborn?"

"Damon, I'm fine," she said in a breath, her words so muffled by her gasps for air that anyone other then him would have taken her for silent. "You are not fine!" he shouted, lifting himself up onto his knees so that his weight wasn't constricting her chest as he drug his fingers through his hair in angst. He let his shaking hands move slowly towards her before stopping midway to observe his own tremble. His eyes flared with anger at his weakness, going enraged as he clinched them into fists demanding his nerves to settle.

She'd slowed her breathing enough to grip his hands in her and drag them to cup her face as she spoke quickly and in a whisper, "See I'm fine. You didn't hurt me, I'm fine." She closed her eyes, kissing each of his palms numerous times as she held them close to her skin, her breaths still slightly drastic. "No your not! You weren't breathing Morgan and that's the crazy thing about being a human-you kind of have to breath!" his tone was hot and aggressive, but she knew he was yelling because he was out of his element-he was scared for her. Despite the anger he wanted to project, he didn't pull his hands away- so she brought them down to her chest and took two deep breaths and held his eyes as she spoke calmly, "The human breaths in and out…in and out…I am fine Damon."

He bowed his body, being careful to apply barely any pressure to her as he rested his forehead on hers and held her eyes. He spoke in a tone that was more collected and his shaking subsided slowly, "That's my beautiful human-keep on breathing for me." She took two more solid breaths, his hands still pressed to her chest as she held his eyes before she smiled and spoke in a light tone, "For you." He smiled back and spoke in his classically sarcastic and feisty voice, "You know you act all tough but skip a few breaths and you get dangerous close to self destruction."

She smiled at the return of his normal sarcasm and wit and pressed her lips softly to his before responding with a touch of lightheartedness in her tone, "Yeah I know, being human is a joke." He smiled, kissing her softly twice more before he rolled off of her and fell to the bed, drawing her into his chest as he did and speaking in tone that had a little bit of laughter in it, "Yeah it is." She smiled against his chest and threw her leg over his as she made tons of micro movements to fit herself to him perfectly as a sigh of satisfaction passed her lips and her body relaxed. She couldn't be anywhere else in the world and be this content.

* * *

He watched her as she slept, her head on his chest and her body curled around him in a sinfully perfect manner. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her, he was worried by what had happened when he sent an obscene amount of his Power into her psyche in an attempt to un-erase her memories of their first night together. He shouldn't have channeled her so fiercely, he shouldn't have been so reckless with his dark princess- there was no excuse for it.

Yet, he'd been so determined to give her what she desired that he'd jeopardized her somehow and when he'd exhausted his efforts and released his control, she'd had lips the color of lapis lazuli, the natural scarlet of them drained completely. She'd failed to breath the entire time he was within her and it took her several minutes to regulate her breathing as she heaved for air underneath him, each breath scaring him half to a new sort of death. And he'd been so furious with his lack of restraint, revolted by the notion that he'd put her in danger, that he hadn't even noticed the new color that blazed in her already intriguing aura.

By the time he noticed it, the crimson stained her lips again and she was so near sleep from the exhaustion of their failed 'undo' that he didn't have it in him to rouse her with his observation. So, he just laid here too fearful of what might happen to her if he let himself rest and watched the new silver that shimmered in the complete spectrum of blues and purples, each ranging from pastel variations to black itself, that encircled her. He'd though at first that maybe he'd been so perplexed by the existence of black among all her softness and white wash that he'd never noticed the glimmering silver before, but as he fixated his eyes on it's sparkle, he was certain that he couldn't have missed it. It looked like someone had finely ground the most brilliant diamonds ever created and introduced them into her fluid aura, allowing it to ribbon it's way elaborately throughout it marvelously-no there was _no_ way he could have overlooked that.

The contrast of it against the spots of ebony was spectacular, the shimmer was like nothing he'd ever seen before and he'd seen an immense amount of auras. It was otherworldly the way it sparkled and the thought of that captivated him, since it'd only occurred after he extended an unbelievably amount of his own Power. He worried at first that perhaps she somehow absorbed some of him, but disregarded that idea quickly because he knew his Power was dark and this was it's polar opposite-this was light it's self. But what the hell did it mean and where the hell did it come from? He didn't have the faintest idea for either, but it became painfully clear that he had to figure it out.

He knew a woman down in Nashville, a witch he'd had a rather short lived and exciting fling with about six years back, who was very deeply connected to a group of people who made it their life's purpose to know absolutely everything about anything supernatural-whatever this change meant he was certain that either her or her friends would know about it. He hadn't spoken to Sandra since the night he left her with nothing more then his memory and he wasn't certain exactly where she was now, but he knew if he had to he could find her.

He wasn't really looking forward to seeing Sandra, she was pretty much certifiable, an amazing conquer because of her strong will but certifiable none the less. Plus, he was fairly certain that all things considered she wasn't going to want to help him with anything that pertained to a new love interest but he would have to make her, by any means necessary. There was no where else for him to go, this sort of thing wasn't just something you could Google.

He needed answers about this unique aura change, because he knew anything pertaining to an alteration in someone aura was a fairly big deal-it meant there was some sort of change within the person. He'd only seen one person's aura actually change before and that had been a complete conversion in spectrum of color. He didn't like to think about this situation because it didn't have a good outcome-it led to him having to end her life, something that was not an option here.

He made his mind up then: he would let her rest, get some sleep to recoup from whatever change had happened within her and when she woke, he would take her to see Sandra and they would find out what this meant together. He would do everything in his power to figure this out, he had to protect her.


	7. Country Music Capital

_**Amalgam**_

_Chapter 7: _

_Country Music Capital_

_

* * *

_

She didn't like the idea that something about her was different without her even knowing it. She didn't feel any different, she felt just as she had before Damon channeled her in an attempt to recover lost memories. She looked normal too, she thought as she flipped the mirror down and examined herself. She removed her large black sunglasses and stared into her own eyes in her reflection. She stared contently, hoping to see something different about herself but she saw nothing at all, just the same large bright green eyes surrounded by long sweeping black lashes that had gotten her out of a lot of trouble with a simple bat or wink.

She wouldn't have known the difference in herself if Damon hadn't told her about it this morning. She'd have told him he was high if he were anyone else and if he hadn't been so adamant that they had to go to see an old friend of his. But because he was Damon and because he was so clearly worried, she got in the car without asking too many questions and spent eight hours on the road to end up in Tennessee.

"I really don't feel any different," she said as she flipped the visor up and studied him from the passenger's seat of his Ferrari. They were actually doing the speed limit now, for the first time all day, as they moved through the business district of Nashville. "Well, that's good because I rather like you the way you are… but there is definitely something different about you," he said smiling devilishly and pausing to let his comment make her smile before he continued in a tone that was a bit more unnerved as he sideways glanced at her, studying her aura suspiciously.

She didn't like him being unease, didn't like talking about something she couldn't see herself, so she changed the subject so that a nagging silence full of awkward looks didn't fall upon them. "So…who is this Sandra?" she said as she pulled her glasses back down out of her hair and watched him. He shifted slightly when she said her name, which gave her the feeling that he didn't really care much for the idea that that's where they were heading, which made her feel torn between happiness and uneasiness. She was satisfied by the fact that he was willing to call on someone he didn't much care for to help them get answers for her-it was adorably selfless-and a bit worried by the fact that he was so unpleased by the idea that he had to see this woman-it made her wonder what this visit had in store for them. "Well, she's a woman I met in Nashville when I passed through a few years back, she's a witch who has a lot of friends who know a lot more then anyone else about things of this nature," he said trying to sound matter of fact, but she could tell there was more. "Did you sleep with her?" she said not even trying to beat around the bush. "Yes," he said looking over at her to gauge her reaction.

She nodded in acceptance, she'd long since come to terms with the fact that he'd had his fair share of past lovers and she was rather indifferent about the knowledge that they were headed to go see one of the many. "Does that bother you?" he said studying her as they headed out of the city and into the countryside. "No, should it?" she said turning herself towards him as she folded her arms at her chest. He shook his head and smiled in a sort of smile that made it painfully clear that he had no interest in her, "No."

She honestly wasn't worried about the fact that they were going to request the help of one of Damon's old flings, although she was fully aware that most people would be. She was confident in what they shared, regardless of what was physically being said between them she knew how he felt about her, she felt it in everything they did. There was pure electricity that coursed between them that even the world's most beautiful woman couldn't change and they had a perfect synchronization that couldn't be rivaled-she did sweat this bitch in the least and the cocky smile that she flashed displayed it.

They pulled off into the gravel parking lot of a roadside bar that was clearly an old establishment, it had a rustic and country feel and fit in perfectly to the surrounding landscape of fields and farms. Although the feel of the bar didn't fit Damon's personality in the least, it still seemed fitting that this would be where they'd find someone he'd had a fling with just for the simple fact that it was a place for drinking, which was something he was rather fond of. Case and point: even they'd met under the dim lights of a local bar and it didn't get more local then this for around here.

There were several Harley's parked in front of the bar and the rest of the cars in the lot were old beaters, all pickups, and his jet black Ferrari seemed even more out of place here then it did back home. He pulled into the back of the lot and killed the engine, bringing his gaze to hers and holding it through the black of his own sunglasses as he spoke after a sigh, "Ready?"

"Of course I am, what a silly question to ask me: why wouldn't I be ready to be told I might have some freaky supernatural thing?" she said flashing a catty and sarcastic smile as she climbed out. He smiled in what was supposed to be an encouraging manner as he waited at the back of the car for her. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close to him in a comforting and protective way. He pressed his lips to the hair that covered her ear as they crossed the parking lot and spoke in a hushed yet sultry tone, "No matter what it is you're still my freaky supernatural princess." She smiled up at him and the certainty of their connection blazed in her chest, easing some of the tension she felt from the realization that reality as she knew it was about to be skewed-it didn't matter, as long as the most important part of it stayed constant, him. The world could ignite into an inferno around them and as long as he stood beside her as her partner, there wasn't anything to fear-she could die happier then she ever was before he entered her life, nothing else mattered.

They entered, 'Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound' crackling through the speakers of an old juke box and slicing through the heavy smoke. The majority of the bar turned towards them, all eyeing them because it was clear they didn't belong amount these drunk country folk. They didn't break their stride even though all the activities in the bar stopped upon their arrival, even the boys shooting pool stopped to lean on their sticks and watch them walk towards the bar.

She let her gaze drift around the honky-tonk décor of the bar, taking in the eyes of the occupants who seemed to blend right into their surroundings. Some of them were curious, others were eyeing her like she was an exotic dish, licking their lips as they not so subtly stripped away her dark denim jeans and her thin low cut crimson top with their eyes. And still others watched the two of them like they were a threat to the normalcy of their stomping grounds. She didn't let any of these gazes cause her to even pause in her step: she knew they seemed absurdly out of place to those with inquisitive eyes, those who were undressing her with there's were free to fantasize about her all they wanted and those who felt threatened should because Damon was their worst nightmare and she wasn't a fragile little lass either-although she was fairly sure she wouldn't even get the full adrenaline rush to respond before he eliminated any threat to her safety.

The bartender slide shots down the bar as they approached and slipped a tip in her bra which was exposed through the flannel that was knotted just under her breasts with only one button done as she smiled in a sly manner. She was thin, her curves modest but appealing and she wasn't shy about showing them off. Her mid-drift was bear and she wore low rise light denim jeans and a thick worn brown belt with a heavy silver buckle. She had on brown cowboy boots over her jeans that matched her belt and her long blonde hair was braided in pigtails. She tipped her brown cowboy hat at the men as she winked her sky blue eyes and sent them an air kiss with her small pink lips. She was pleasantly pretty but in a simple sort of way that fit this town and there was a bit of fire in her- she must be Sandra, Morgan gathered as they approached the bar.

She turned her eyes toward Damon, completely bypassing Morgan, and the look of pure astonishment in them as she took a step back and gasped clarified any doubt Morgan may have had. "Damon Salvatore, you stud, where the hell have you been hiding boy?" she said in a high pitched southern drawl as she smiled widely. "Here and there," he said as he released Morgan's shoulders, pulled his sunglasses off, leaned up onto the bar and smiled in his normal cocky manner. "Well hell, whatya drinking? First ones on me," she said leaning on her side, drawing her face very close to his as she smiled.

"I'll take a whiskey, finest you have of course," he said as if he were someone who's preferences she would forget as he smiled back at her. "Of course," she said in a manner that made it clear she hadn't forgot him in the least while she tilted her head slightly, lining their lips up perfectly as she made no movements for the liquor. "I'll take a one too, whenever you get around to it," Morgan said in a slightly catty manner as she ran her hand down Damon's spine before slipping it into his back pocket-making her claim on him clear because she couldn't help but shatter Sandra's extremely misconstrued judge of why he was here.

Sandra pulled her eyes off Damon's for the first time since she'd seen him, taking in Morgan in an equally catty manner as she sized her up and straightened her posture defensively. "You pay," she said snidely as she flashed her a bitchy smile, not even trying to mask her dissatisfaction that he wasn't alone. "That's fine," Morgan said as she pulled a fifty out of her back pocket and slammed it down on the counter, "I'd like my change of course, perhaps you could fish it out of your bra: do you have that much in there?"

Damon laughed softly beside her while the two women held each other's glowering gazes and Morgan tilted her head and smiled maliciously as she pushed her glasses back up into her hair so that the fire in her eyes was clearly readable. Sandra reluctantly moved away and poured the drinks while Morgan watched her, holding the same smile the entire time as she grabbed a stool. "You know pushing her buttons isn't going to make her anymore willing to help you," Damon said softly in a whisper. "Oh she'll help us or I'll rip her across the bar by her nasty blonde braids and wrap them around her neck," she said in a calm and pleasant tone loud enough to be sure that it was heard as she pulled her eyes from her to hold his and smile sweetly.

He smiled back in a sinister manner as a dark amusement danced in his eyes and he spoke in a wicked tone, "God you're hot." She smiled back and leaned in, pressing her lips to his as she spoke in a sultry whisper into his mouth before kissing him, "I know." She welcomed the dark fog that his kiss put in her mind, letting is swirl in a menacing manner around her. She gripped the fabric of the front of his shirt in her hand and pulled him towards her, encouraging him to hold nothing back, to deepen their kiss to a point that was unsuitable for the public eye. He obliged without even a hint of opposition and his hands found her hair, knotting themselves deeply into it as he pulled her harder against him.

After several amazing minutes of this there was an annoyed throat clear that interrupted their dark and powerful chemistry and they registered it but let their kiss go for several more breaths before they made any attempts to end it. Morgan pulled on his swollen bottom lip with her teeth and smiled at him before finally letting her fingers uncurl from his shirt as his hands fell from her hair and trailed down her arms to prolong their contact before leaving her completely. She turned her eyes to Sandra and smiled the same smile she'd given her the entire time they were there. She slammed Morgan's drink down and threw her change on the bar, her smile just as cut throat. She slide Damon's drink to him nicely, holding his eyes as she leaned in, bringing her face painfully close to his as she spoke in a voice that was both disappointed and suggestive all at once, "You've clearly lowered your standards handsome-I never took you for the kind to play house with a loud mouthed bitchy White Priestess."

* * *

It'd taken every bit of his charm to get Sandra to agree to talk to him once her relief arrived and he had to leave Morgan inside the bar at the pool table with the local drunken country boys who found her irresistible. He didn't much like that portion of the deal, but neither of the girls had made an effort to seem even halfway pleasant to one another and Sandra would only agree to help Damon. And she was only willing to give Damon information because she hoped it would steer him away from Morgan. Yet she was fully unaware of how impossible her mission was or how he extended his Powers to connect with Morgan so he could monitor her safety while he was out of the room.

"Really Damon a fucking White Priestess? And a pure bloodline none the less from the looks of it, have you lost your fucking mind?" Sandra said in an appalled shout as she lit her cigarette and blew out a wall of thick smoke. "That's why I'm here Sandra because I don't have the slightest idea what the hell that silver means," he said as he held her eyes, trying to convey a sense of need because he knew she liked feeling like she was the one holding all the cards-he would give her the benefit of the doubt that she could cooperate without force, but he wasn't playing the game any longer then he saw fit.

"The silver that is floating around that bitch's head all sparkly and shit means people like you should stay the fuck away," she said sharply as she pulled another long drag and folded her arms at her chest. "As a general rule I should stay away from most everyone, so you're going to have to be more specific Sandra," he said in an unimpressed manner as he folded his arms at his chest as well and leaned against the building while he watched her with indifferent eyes-letting the bitch comment slide this time. She took three steps towards him and stood with her face extremely close to his as she spoke in a hostile hushed tone, careful to make sure the kitchen boy who exited through the backdoor to throw away the trash didn't overhear her, "That silver in her aura is light Damon, pure light-inherited virtue from a long bloodline of White Priestesses. White Priestesses don't do death, darkness and carnage, they protect and preserve life."

"Well she does me quite well," he said letting his voice go slightly harsh, making it clear that he wasn't an easy scare as he smiled wickedly. "Stop thinking with your dick Damon! Her kind exists solely to combat the Black Magic and sorry to break it to you sweetheart but you don't exactly run on the light," she said closing the space between them even further as she narrowed her eyes and spoke in a hot and cut throat tone. "Flattery isn't the way to scare me off Sandra," he said smiling devilishly as he held her eyes, never flinching.

"You're such an ignorant prick Damon Salvatore-beautiful yes but ignorant above anything else and your arrogance is truly going to be your downfall. She is your death wrapped up in one little alluring package and if you choose to be this ignorant then I hate to say it but this is the last time I'm going to see your sexy ass-she'll be rid of you in no time," she said pulling out of his face at the end of her rant so she could pull at her cigarette again.

"Death? In case you haven't noticed sweetheart I rebounded from death quite nicely last time," he said smiling condescendingly as he extended his arms wide to put himself on display. "You don't get it you pompous ass, if she has any handle on her magic she can destroy you without even batting one of her pretty little eyes. She wants you dead then you're dead and there is no coming back from the death she can give you," she said leaning in to convey her sincerity.

He didn't flinch away or give any indicator for Sandra to draw from: he didn't need her to know whether Morgan had a grip on her powers or not, it was probably best she was in the dark about it, it would keep her on her toes around her which would keep him from doing something rash to remove any threat to his dark princess. Sandra threw her hands up in discouragement, reading that he wasn't going to let her get under his skin.

"What the hell has you so mind fucked Damon? Did you catch feelings without even knowing what you were getting into? Is that bitch-" she started hotly before he propelled himself away from the wall and grabbed her, spun her completely around and slammed her into the wall without restraining his strength, his teeth bared as he spoke in a growl through them, "Watch your language when you are speaking about her. Her name is Morgan and if you can't refer to her as so then I will rip you fucking throat out so that you can attempt to gurgle it properly!"

He had her arms pinned to the old cedar siding, parallel to her head as he had once before, but he didn't hold her wrists with any tenderness this time while he pressed his face dangerously close to her, holding her eyes with a mildly control rage burning in his. She swallowed coarsely and nodded twice in a shaken manner, as her breathing shook from her chest which heaved against his. "Good, now you're going to tell me what I need to know about my White Priestess or I'm going to bring your death down upon you in the darkest and most carnal way you can imagine: do you understand me?" he said in the same snarl he'd used before, not even lightening his tone slightly as he increased the pressure on her wrists.

She swallowed again but didn't speak and he tilted his ear towards her, encouraging her to come out with it but she just drew one steady breath before his mind went into a frenzy of pain. It was the worse feeling he'd ever experienced and the constant flow of large bursts of pain that radiated from the center of his brain out, surging into his temples caused him to pull his hands from her to grip his head in agony. He squinted against the bursts and bent over unable to hold his head up, still pressing the heels of his hands into his temples which felt like they were going to split wide open as the pain shot down his neck into his spine. His ears were ringing profusely which intensified the bursts, his eardrum felt as if they were busted and he was certain that blood would be flowing from them shortly.

But somewhere in all this torment he heard Sandra's self-righteous voice, attempting to sound strong although he could distinguish a slight shake to it, "It isn't wise to threaten a witch Damon, she is capable of taking advantage of things you consider strengths and using them against you. How does it feel to have someone in your mind for once? Does it feel nice to be on the receiving end?" The pain increased, going nearly excruciating, surging to slam into his eyes as well and he struggled to fight against it with his own Power, trying to force her out of his mind so he could regain control of himself. If her powers faltered even in the least he would catch it and capitalize on it so he could recover enough to wrap his hands around her throat and smother the life out of her for playing with fire.

He fell to his knee, unable to draw the strength to stand in the face of all the pain that was coursing through him in shockwaves, it's reach farther with every pulse. He could feel his coherent mind giving in, unable to stand against the pain and starting to shut down in defense of it's self. No, he couldn't black out, he couldn't leave Morgan unprotected, he had to fight this-but there was no point to it, he couldn't focus long enough to summon a substantial amount of Power to fight this new intensity. Mixed in all this pain, he heard Sandra's voice again, this time it didn't shake at all, it was sadistic and controlled, "You don't get to force me to do anything Damon-I am not some weak human who has nothing to fight back with. I will keep these explosions going and you'll keep healing and eventually I will win and you will black out long enough for me to do whatever the hell I please-are you close yet? I'll bet the blackness is creeping up slowly right now and you can't do a damn thing to stop it, keep fighting and I'll keep increasing the intensity. Be careful who's throat you threaten little boy."

She was right, the blackness was creeping up from the back, knocking out his senses one by one as it coated his mind in it's thick sheet of nothingness and he was powerless to stop it. True to her word when he tried to physically fight against the pain and rise, she cranked up the intensity another notch, bringing both his knees to the gravel as an agonized scream escaped his lips without him being able to fight it back any longer.

His body bowed in a crippled manner, his forehead coming to his thighs as the blackness increased it's speed in it's conquest of his mind. He'd never been this paralyzed before and his inability to respond made him even more vengeful-he would kill Sandra for this, if it was the last thing he did; he would wrap his fingers around her neck and snap her spine so viciously that he'd sever it completely. Yes, she would die at his hands as soon as he could move. She had to be drained of power shortly and when she was, she would die.

The blackness was close to conquering him, she had almost won this battle, completely unaware of what hell she'd released upon herself when like a switch the pain left just as quickly as it had come. His muscles relaxed instantly, like the electricity that had them rigid with pain had been cut off abruptly and he let himself collapse-willing himself to regain his strength quickly so he could respond. His newly clear ears picked up a new voice distinctly and although the sound made them throb from the tenderness that they were coated with as they healed, it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard-it was his dark princess and she was pissed. Her tone callous and brutal, the voice of darkness it's self, "Get the fuck away from him you cunt!"

She sounded like a wild animal, fiercely protective of her mate and looking for the blood of whoever was unwise enough to threaten him. He struggled to try and stand but his legs were still damaged and they fell out from under him as he reached towards her voice, attempting to draw her close to him. He couldn't bare the thought of Sandra hurting Morgan, the idea that she might even cause her the slightest bit of discomfort had his heart pounding viciously in panic-focus on me, turn that Power to me, do to me whatever you wish to do to her.

His internal plead was interrupted by a giant surge of Power that shot through the air like a shockwave. He tensed in preparation for it but it bent around him, leaving him unharmed. He felt it pulsating around him, the sheer magnitude of it rivaling even his own. He lifted his head very slowly, drawing his sore eyes open to take in his surroundings and what he saw almost knocked him flat. The Power was so thick in the air that he could physically see it, something that never happened before, it was a thick translucent white, like a fog but fluid like water and it arched around him but spread in all directions for several feet everywhere else. In the center of the of the Power was Sandra, suspended about a foot off the ground, her muscles rigid and her arms locked out straight at her sides, her palms facing upward.

At first he thought it had to be coming from her but once the awe that had him slightly paralyzed was overridden by sheer terror at what this Power was doing to Morgan his eyes locked on her and he realized she had created this. She stood at the edge of the circle of white Power, her dark hair blowing sporadically as if there was a moderate breeze and her eyes were locked on Sandra, the green of them blazing brilliantly. Her aura was three times it's normal size, the blues and purples barely visible with the immense amount of silver that shone even more marvelously then it ever had before, nearly taking it over entirely.

He found himself completely mystified by her, she looked more beautiful then ever with her aura shining like high polished platinum and the amount of Power that he felt surging from her left him speechless. She was powerful, far beyond anything that he could of imagined and regardless of the fact that this Power was pure light he found himself completely captivated by it-his dark princes was an extremely powerful being, perhaps even stronger then him and she was utilizing this Power to protect him, her mate. This beautiful Priestess before him that was commanding a Power so magnificent that it hung in the air was his, she was entirely his and was driven to call upon her power out of fierce protectiveness without even knowing what she was capable of. His dark princess had light in her, this much was clear but her light was not destroying darkness but protecting it.

She closed her eyes and the white power intensified, causing him to shield his eyes as it blazed for several seconds before it vanished completely and Sandra fell to the ground before him, her body making a heavy thud as it collided with the earth. She didn't rise, didn't even twitch before him and Morgan fell to her knees. He was at her side within a fraction of a second, having fully healed in the time that her Power was visible, and he fell to his knees before her and wrapped her in his arms protectively. Her breathing was heaving viciously in her chest and her muscles went limp as she collapsed into him.

Her face was pressed to his chest and he stroked her hair tenderly, pressing his face into it as he tightened his grip on her, supporting all of her weight, holding her up because she didn't have the strength to do it herself. They stayed like this for quite some time, him holding his marvelous dark princess in his arms as he willed his strength into her. Her breathing slowed over time and her weight became lighter and lighter against him as she absorbed his energy while he continued to stroke her hair lovingly.

After what seemed like hours, she drew her arms around him and clung to him as she spoke in a weak whisper into his chest, "She was hurting you…you were in so much pain…I just wanted it to stop and I wanted her dead for what she did to you…I don't know what I did Damon…" "Shh princess, you did what you had to. You don't have to say a word, I have you now-it's okay," he said as he tightened his arms around her and pressed her closer to his chest, burying his face deeper into her hair. "No one is allowed to hurt you…not you, not my Da-" she started in a shaky sob as she tightened her grip and her breaths shook. "It's okay princess, I'm fine. Don't cry love, you made sure I was okay," he said cringing at her pain as he felt it pulsate out of her and into his chest.

She withdrew and held his eyes with hers which glistened from the tears that slipped down her cheeks with she spoke in a whisper that was broken with sobs, "I should… have come… sooner…you were…already so…hurt when…I got here…I'm sorry-" "Stop it, you came that's all that matters. I am fine-see look I'm fine. I could run a marathon right now. Want me to do laps to prove it?" he said holding her eyes as he kept his arms locked around her until he started to rise, fully intent on proving how okay he was because of her. She laughed at his vigor before using all her strength to pull him back down to her, dragging him back into her as she kissed his face all over, numerous times, the tears still trickling down her cheeks, several soft 'I love yous' passing her lips as she did. He cupped her face softly in his hands, ceasing her movement as he drew her away from him slowly, stroking away her tears with his thumbs as he lower his eyes to line up with hers perfectly and a tender whisper seeped from his mouth so fluidly that it made her smile, "I love you too."

He'd never said those words to her, he'd told her in other ways, said it millions of times in his head but never actually articulated the words in that context. It was how he felt and even though he couldn't express it, he knew she knew it and she'd never forced it, never made him say it which only made him love her more-but in this moment here, after how she'd shown him her love, nothing seemed more fitting then those three words. He reciprocated her smile before pressing his lips to hers, which were salty from her tears. Their kiss was gently and affectionate, a display of the love they'd just proclaimed and when he was sure he'd expressed himself adequately he pulled out to hold her eyes again. She wasn't crying anymore, she just held his eyes, her dreamy and adoring, as she smiled softly. He pressed a soft kiss to each of her puffy eyes before pressing another tender kiss to her perfect crimson lips-the lips that were his.

When he pulled back to stare into those magnificent green eyes again, they fluttered in a sleepy manner, barely able to stay open. He scooped her up gently, cradling her against his chest and she melted into him, not even fighting her exhaustion any longer as she pressed her face into his shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck. He moved slowly, taking his time to enjoy how she felt like this in his arms, as he pressed his cheek to her hair and carried her towards the car. He unloaded her gently into the passenger's seat, clicking her belt around her waist as her head fell weakly to the side. He crouched beside her, brushing her hair out of her face and exchanging soft smiles with her as they held each other's eyes, hers closing slowly as he played with a loose strand of her hair. When her eyes drifted completely closed, a sweet smile still arched on her beautifully full lips and her breathing shallow and soft, he pressed his kiss gently to her brow before standing and closing the door with a faint click. Now, it was time for damage control, he had to go into the bar and compel the hicks to remember a completely alternative evening to the reality of it-perhaps he'd make something dramatic up for Sandra departure for the fun of it-and dispose of the body-he had to look out for the best interest of number one, which actually happened to be a twosome these days, that was going to take some serious getting used to.


	8. Fire & Aire

_Amalgam_

_**Chapter 8: **_

_**Fire and Aire**_

* * *

She raced up the stairs, running as fast as she possibly could towards his room as her heart pounded viciously within her ears in excitement. She was practically shaking from it and she couldn't wait to show him what she'd learned from her most recent session with Bonnie. She threw the door open roughly, causing it to bounce off the wall with a smack as she charged into the room so forcefully that it caused him to jump to his feet defensively, his eyes surveying her in a hot manner. "What's the matter?" he asked, his tone quick and worried yet holding a bit of fierce protectiveness that made her swoon slightly.

She grabbed his hands in hers and drug him towards the door, pulling him behind her as she smiled over her shoulder and spoke in a giddy tone, "Nothing at all! Everything is great! Come see what I can do!" He released a sharp breath, his response holding it's classic spark that masked his relief, "You really have a way of making an entrance don't you?" She flashed another smile over her shoulder as they reached the first floor and rounded the banister on their way to the living room, "Sorry, I am honestly trying to work on that."

He laughed softly and shook his head; she knew he could see the excitement burning in her smile, arching all the way to her eyes and he wasn't going to dampen her mood. She pulled him into the living room, dragging him all the way across it to the fireplace and lead him to the leather couch that faced it. She forced him to sit and turned from him as she exclaimed, "Okay, watch this shit-It's pretty cool!"

She fixated her gaze on the logs and took a deep steadying breath like Bonnie had taught her to. She visualized the outcome, pictured the logs igniting and willed her Power to fulfill her desire. There was instantly a spark, a little flash of bright red at the base. She narrowed her eyes, not content with a just a little flame, she'd pictured a roaring fire, not the pathetic single flame that burned at the base of the stack. She felt her Power gather in her chest before propelling it's self forcefully outward, causing her back to arch slightly and her breath to hitch in her throat. The logs ignited, the large flames licking maliciously at them at they crept up from the base rapidly before engulfing the stack almost completely.

Her lips arched sharply in a confident and proud smile and before she could even turn towards him, he had his arms around her waist and he pulled her to perch daintily on his lap. He had her back pressed securely to his chest, his arms locked around her and held her close as he rested his chin on her shoulder and spoke in a hushed but steamy voice through her hair and into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine, "Fire suits you Princess." She smiled softly, completely enticed by his words as she wrapped one of her arms around his and brought the other hand to his face, stroking his cheek softly as she responded in a gentle coo while they watched the brilliant flames flicker in a soothing manner, "It is amazing isn't it?"

He nestled his face closer to skin, working his way through her hair as he spoke in a breathy tone that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, "Mmm, yes you are quite amazing." She let her eyes slip softly closed as his smooth and erotic tone swam in her mind fluidly, making her smile as it washed over her sensually. She felt his one arm release her, his hand coming slowly to brush her hair softly out of the way, taking his time to sweep it gently over her shoulder, his movements careful and tender. She arched her neck into his sensual and skillful full lips, letting him cover it with numerous slow and warm kisses; each fully thought out, strategically placed and drawn out perfectly so that she could distinguish every time his lips drug over her skin in desperation to make the contact prolonged.

A soft sigh passed her lips as she moved her hand into his hair, digging her fingers tenderly into the sexy length of it, curling her fingers in the erotic ebony strands and gripping it gently as his lips still danced over her neck. She couldn't get over how fantastic his mouth felt on her flesh, couldn't deny the raw pleasure of the sensations he could create without much effort. It was amazing to her that this sort of perfection was hers alone, that he only loved her this way, that he only kissed her like this.

She pivoted, driven to taste him after all of this teasing as she opened her eyes to take him in before she indulged herself and threw her legs over him. They exchanged soft smiles, their eyes locked on one another as he brushed her hair softly from her face. She took in the dark appeal of his eyes, the onyx of them sparkling mischievously in a way that made her blood run hot as his smile widened to display the perfect white of his breathtakingly devious yet completely enthralled smile. She brought her lips slowly to his, holding his eyes for several soft heart beats before she let her eyes drift closed as their lips moved perfectly against one another.

She felt him draw her closer to him, felt his strong hands through the thin material of her shirt on her back and she marveled at the way it felt to have them there. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling their bodies closer as their kiss intensified and no matter how close they were it didn't feel close enough. Their lips had lost their tenderness, the need in them too intense, the mingling of their hot tongues on one another magically smooth and sensual.

Her blood was coursing hotly, surging rapidly through her veins and racing to the surface to flush every inch of her skin from the amount of desire and love that flowed between them so intensely. She relished in this feeling as she felt his fingers dance up her spine slowly, the slight chill of them evident in contrast to the heat of her own skin even through the material of her shirt, making his touch all the more tantalizing and causing her to shiver slightly in response. This quiver lead to the all too familiar fog that crept into her mind as he took her over with ease. She didn't fight it, she had long since come to terms with the fact that this sensation was okay, that it wasn't threatening and that she was meant to give herself to him so easily because he was willing to give himself to her completely as well.

As she allowed her control to slip further out of reach, she felt the Power that had been centralized in her chest to command fire dissipate slowly, going more fluid and the sheer burn of it stifling it's self until it felt like fizzles flowing outward toward her limbs. By the time it reached her fingertips, there was no spark left to it at all and it felt completely weightless. The still air of the room changed around them, as it started to swirl softly, tousling her long hair gently. She was far beyond gaining control, too lost in his dark sensual fog to demand it to settle. The breeze surrounding them got stronger, but never anything more then a soothing stream that you'd feel if you were at the beach on a day when the gentle wind flowed over romantic waves.

She slowed their kiss mildly, reluctant to let this end but the sound of rustling papers being blown from their appropriate places indicated that her Power needed to be channeled, which meant she had to focus but she couldn't focus on anything other then Damon when he kissed her like this. When she pulled away from him, he fought against it, pushing his hands up into her hair to drag her lips back into his; she found his vigor irresistible and she humored him for several long and steamy kisses, which caused the breeze that had died subtly to flare back up.

After she'd given in for several more minutes, she pulled back out and he started to pull her back in but she laughed her protest as she pushed on his chest with both of her hands, "Stop it Damon! I have to channel it and I cant focus with all these distractions." He wrapped his arms around her waist, as the breeze slowed a little and fought softly against her struggles, using only a fraction of the strength that they both knew he was capable of. "But distractions are so much fun," he said smiling deviously as she fought to wiggle free pointlessly. Her response came out between bouts of laughter as she wrestled against him even though she knew her efforts were hopeless, "Come on-I can't focus-Damon!"

The breeze was dying rapidly, because her control was falling back into place as the fog evaporated from her mind, but now it was a matter of stubbornness. They tussled playfully, him gaining the upper hand effortlessly as she used all her strength and strategic thinking to combat him in vain, her laugh still erupting from her lips sporadically and intertwined with high pitched shrieks of his name. He whirled her through the air, as it's stillness returned, her laughs wild as he brought her to her back beneath him and pinned her to the leather as he buried his face in her neck, nibbling on it playfully as he held her hands high above her head.

She fought to free them, although she knew that he would have her like this for as long as he pleased and even though she loved the way his teeth felt as they scraped her soft throat she wasn't one to submit. "No fair!" she squealed, her tone shaking with laughter as she struggled. "All is fair in love and war Princess," he said a bit of laughter in his own tone hidden under a thick layer of seduction and power as he moved his mouth down to the curves of her chest that were exposed.

There was a nervous throat clear that made his lips freeze on her breasts and she sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady her fit of laughter and squinted her eyes like a small child who was pretending they were invisible when they were caught in the cookie jar before dinner as he straightened up, still gripping her wrists. "Your timing is impeccable," he said in a snide tone, eyeing whoever shattered their moment with hot and fierce eyes.

"Perhaps it's your lack of restraint that's impeccable," Stefen said dryly, which caused a small giggle to break through Morgan's lips uncontrollably, before he spoke in a much more kind tone, "Hello Morgan." "Hello Stefen," she said nervously in a small voice. "Is there something pressing you need to discuss with me or can you just not fight the urge to suck the fun right out of everything?" Damon said harshly as he sat up on his knees and released Morgan's wrists so she could cover her face in slight embarrassment. "Actually, I came to give Morgan something," he said with a bit of sting in his tone.

She sat up, smoothing out her hair and fixing her shirt as she cleared her throat and Damon climbed off of her and sat on the couch with a dissatisfied huff. She turned her eyes to his brother, smiling meekly over the back of the couch as she spoke in a mildly collected tone, "What's up Stef?" "This came for you this morning," he said holding a parcel wrapped in brown paper before him as he smiled sweetly; despite his tension with Damon, Stefen always made a point of speaking to her respectfully and didn't hold her accountable for whatever there was between the two of the boys. "For me?" she asked in bewilderment as she motioned to herself with one hand and swept the hair behind her ear with the other. "I know I was a little surprised too," he said making a slightly confused face. She stood, crossed towards him and took the small package from him as she smiled gratefully, "Well, thanks." "No problem," he said smiling genuinely as he slipped his hands into his pockets before he turned away from her and disappeared around the corner.

She turned back towards Damon, her eyes questioning as she shook the small package creating a faint rattle and made her way back towards the couch while she spoke in an unsure tone, "Did you-?" "No," he said as he shook his head. "Well then who-?" she asked in confusion. He shrugged his shoulders and constructed his face in an unsure manner, making it clear that he honestly had no idea who would have sent her something to his house. She drew her brow tight in frustration and sat down beside him as she studied the parcel, looking for something such as a return address that might help her disgust the meaning of this.

She drew her eyes back to his, holding them to communicate a lack of certainty as they said nothing for several moments. He spoke first, breaking the conversation of pure confusion they had with their gazes before tightening his jaw, "Open it." She turned her eyes back to the parcel, rotating it slowly in her hands to find the seam where it was taped and once she'd found it she slid her finger under it and peeled the paper back painstakingly slow before pulling it away completely. She opened the small white box and pulled out the contents of it as she discarded the cardboard box next to her on the couch with the brown paper. The box she held in her hand was an ornately carved miniature wooden chest what was adorned with jewels and fit in the palm of her hand. She pulled her eyes up to Damon and he narrowed his in confusion and then widened them as his jaw went lax, communicating a lack of understanding and surprise that mirrored hers feelings perfectly.

She drew her gaze back to the chest and examined it carefully: the edges of it were decorated with elegant molding which framed off each side into a square that was the perfect canvas to display the creator's artistic skill. The back depicted the moon at half crescent surrounded by numerous intricate cuts with inlaid diamonds of various sizes and shapes, making it shimmer beautifully against the dark chestnut wood. One of the sides was carved to show a large wave that appeared to crash into the frame and curl over onto it's self, the movement of it communicated with dazzling sapphires and blue topazes. The opposite side was an intricate scene of flames, that appeared to dance as the mixture of rubies and citrines sparkled with any slight movement. The front was adorn with a latch that appeared to be made of either silver or white gold, however she highly doubted that someone who used this many precious stones for decoration would affix a silver latch to the box, and depicted the wind, the lines arching and curving fluidly with strategically placed pearls and opals. But, the most decorative artwork was cut into the top which had an intricate knot of vines with emeralds and peridots with a breathtaking flower in the space in the center that had petals that were made of hundreds of amethysts, pink topazes and tanzanites that ranged from dark to almost translucent for each stone type and had a large lapis lazuli that matched the hue of Damon's ring perfectly with a butterfly etched as it's center.

She ran her fingers along the knot as she studied it in amazement and complete awe; she'd never seen anything this beautiful before in her entire life, it was absolutely fantastic and breathtaking. She couldn't imagine who would have something like this made for her-it was clearly one of a kind-or who believed she deserved something of this magnitude-it was obviously not an inexpensive token.

"What would you even send in something that lavish-the hope diamond?" Damon said in uncertainty, his normal sarcasm burning through even in confusion, as he leaned in to get a better look at the intrigue design. "Send in it?" she asked in astonishment as she drew her brow tight and floated her eyes up to his, "How could someone afford to buy anything to put inside it?" He tightened his brow as well and then motioned with his hand in a manner that enticed her to open it, "How could you have something that magnificent created if you didn't intend on keeping something precious and worthy inside it?" She hadn't thought of it in that way and she didn't want to open it because she couldn't even imagine herself deserving of owning the box it's self so there was no way she was entitled to what was kept within it.

She licked her lips, unable to pass words through them as she held his eyes and he leaned back in a cocky manner and motioned at the box again, daring her to open it and prove him wrong. She twisted her lips, chewing on the corner of her bottom one as she drew her eyes slowly to the box again, her fingers sweeping along the curved line of the wind, working their way delicately towards the latch before lifting it gently, scared she might damage it with too much exertion.

She lifted the lid very deliberately and when it fell back completely the pale creamy white of a folded piece of parchment paper shone against the brilliant emerald green of the luxurious velvet lining. "A letter?" Damon said is disbelief as he leaned closer, making sure his eyes didn't betray him. "I told you Caro, they had no more money," she said smiling at him sweetly, thankful to have his beautiful eyes to distract her momentarily from the daunting idea of reading the note. He held her eyes, searching them contently as a soft smile stretched on his lips. The smile went sly instantly and he spoke in a challenging yet playful tone, "Perhaps they sent you a map to Atlantis-or something to that effect because I simple 'hey how ya doing?' would have been sufficed by an envelope." "God could you make it more obvious that you hate being wrong?" she said with a soft laugh as her eyes sparkled with a humorous light and she shook her head gently. "Could you be more eager to defer the act of opening it?" he said leaning in closer to her as he squinted his eyes and his smile went toothy and impish.

She narrowed her eyes to match his, holding his gaze to covey her refusal to submit for several long silent moments before she finally softened them and spoke honestly, with a small laugh in her tone, "Maybe." He smiled in triumph before leaning back out of her space and nodding at the chest in her hand, his tone showing a small fragment of arrogance, "Well in that case then perhaps you could gracefully prove me wrong by opening it and we can conquer both our misfortune situations in one fowl swoop?" She smiled an amused smile, glad to have an emotion other then tension radiating through out her muscles before she pulled the folded note from the box, a glimmer of light catching her eye as she moved it.

Her hand froze, her eyes shifted swiftly towards the glimmer and Damon leaned in, blocking the light as he peered into the box, a victorious smile arching dangerously on his lips as he too took in the necklace that lay against the velvet. "Well I am most certain that wasn't free Princess," he said smugly, gaining himself a quick well aimed hit to the solar plexus with her balled fist that held the folded note as she continued to study the jewelry. He laughed, receiving the punch in good humor and spoke as though it hadn't happened, "Take it out so we can look at it better."

She obliged, setting the letter and the chest on the couch between them and picked the necklace up by it's heavy white gold diamond cut rope chain. She extended her arm high to hold it suspended between them as the long chain fell taught and the pendent slid to the bottom. The chain was magnificent, a flawless high-quality that surpassed anything she'd ever owed before and had a toggle clasp, the open end had a decorative seven pedaled orchid that had a beautiful asscher cut diamond in the center and it's stem looping dramatically to appear as if it were curled onto it's self to create the opening for the t-bar. And what a elegant t-bar it was; it was arched in a elegant wave, one end circled around a dainty diamond that matched the flower's and the other around a small butterfly that was constructed from precisely cut rubies and positioned so when the clasp was interlocked it sat delicately on one of the flower's pedals.

The pendant was affixed to the chain by a unique ring that was actually two interlocked white gold clasps, twisting in elegant unequal figure eights the top one much smaller then the bottom and fitting into each other to create a sort of tiered teardrop or waterfall effect, the larger of the two having three diamonds of varying gradually in size as you moved towards the thicker portion at the base. The pendant it self was massive, probably nearing twenty carats, and was the most interesting shad of blue she'd ever seen. She couldn't place a name to the stone, it was like nothing she'd ever seen before, it's shade a murky and almost fog smothered blue, making it nearly a gray black if the light wasn't shining through it.

"That's the largest and most brilliant lolite I've ever seen," Damon said in an astonished and breathy manner, "It's color is fascinating." He scooped the pendant into his hand and examined it, his eyes wide with intrigue. "It's beautiful," she said in a dumb founded manner, she'd never owned anything quite as magnificent in her life-nor anywhere near as expensive. "Yes it is…. Open the letter Princess, so we know what adoring admirer I have to commend before I eliminate completely for making me look like a dud," he said in the same manner before pausing to speak with a splash of collected harshness.

She laughed softly before speaking in a lighthearted manner, "I highly doubt I have an admirer who would send me gifts such as these." Damon brought his eyes up to hers as she lowered the chain and let it fall gently from her fingers to dangle as he still held the pendant, his eyes were drawn tight in distaste and his words were smooth and soaked with disbelief, "You don't feel you deserve something of this magnitude-something this beautiful?" She shook her head in disagreement as she wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips, "No way, I haven't done anything to warrant it." He let out a discouraged and slightly annoyed tisk as he smacked his lips together sharply and shook his head as he studied her, "You don't have to do a thing to warrant it, it simply compliments you perfectly-your existence alone makes you deserving. And I am sorry that no one, myself included, has ever taken the time to make you aware of this-I figured it was simply known; I'll be sure to correct my behavior accordingly in the future."

"Oh please don't, I don't have the means to reciprocate the gesture. I plan on returning this to whomever it was who sent it as soon as I know where to bring it," she said waving a dismissive hand as her head mirrored it's movements before stopping to hold his eyes to be sure he understood her sincerity. "Well that's ridiculous-they wouldn't be gifts if I expected something in return now would they? And as far as the necklace is concerned, you can't return it-it wouldn't look right on anyone else," he said with a stern yet cool tone before fixing his eyes back on the pendant. "Well you don't actually expect me to wear it do you?" she asked in shock and slight horror. "Of course I do, it was made for you after all wasn't it? Plus, I happen to like the image I have of how it will nestle perfectly right here," he said smoothly as he traced the inner line of one of her breasts with a fingertip from his free hand as he held her eyes.

"I refuse," she said arching her neck away from him but not pulling her chest away from him touch, her tone reeking of hostility, but not towards him towards the thought of wearing the necklace. "And I insist, won't you do it for me?" he said sultrily, "I am sure I can think of some way to repay you for the act." His final statement was drawn out sensually, his words soft yet suggestive as his brow arched and a smile spread across his lips as his finger retraced the curve slowly, making a shiver of excitement race across the skin. She didn't reply and he took her lack of response as a submission, although she didn't intend on giving in, and spoke with that collected smoothness again as his hand left her skin, "The letter Princess."

She cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes on him in slight frustration at the effect he had on her before she picked the folded parchment paper up in her fingers and twirled it between them, her eyes locked on his. She opened it slowly, smoothing it out on the couch between them, careful to keep her hands covering the words as she did so, preparing herself for what it said. She moved her hands slowly from it, and saw five foreign words written on it in a flowing and elegant manner, the arches beautiful and fluid and only a possible creation of an antique fountain tipped pen with liquid sapphire hued ink:

_Mi incontri nei Suoi sogni_

_-A_

She studied it in confusion, unable to process the words as her voice came out slightly relieved despite herself yet intertwined with a heavy mask of sarcasm, "Well my 'admirer' is cryptic as well as flamboyant. What's the point of sending a girl a note she can't read?" "Mi incontri nei Suoi sogni-it's Italian…" Damon said in a tone that despite the music of the language was mildly detached and unnerved, something she was not used to from him, as he studied the note with unsettled eyes. She felt the relief drain from her completely as she studied his distracted eyes which now burned on the note, anger blazing in the dark onyx of them as his fist clenched around the stone. Her voice was small, even though she willed it not to be, and soft, "What does it mean?" His tone was hot now, the music of his native language smothered from it completely as he drew his eyes up to hers in a manner that made her blood go cold, "Meet me in your dreams."

* * *

It was half passed three am and Morgan's soft and shallow breaths that trickled softly out onto his bare chest was a relieving indicator that she'd finally fallen asleep. She'd been fighting against it for the past six hours relentlessly, completely refusing to allow sleep to take her even though exhaustion had her entire body heavy and sluggish. She was shaken by the note that came this afternoon, scared to fall into a sleep that allowed her to dream, because someone had told her they'd be there waiting for her. She said she didn't like the notion that someone was so certain she would dream of them, especially when she hadn't the faintest idea who they were-she said it was too 'Nightmare on Elm Street' for her liking.

So, she fought vigorously against her own body, denying it the sleep it needed while she lay curled around him and they talked. They talked about all sorts of things, all the classic things people in a relationship share at bed time-well minus the supernatural aspect that worked it's way in quite frequently. Yet, their conversation always got steered back towards 'A', her anonymous admirer who give her two marvelous gifts and one unsettling declaration.

And when it did her muscles tensed defensively, her body preparing it's self for action like a threaten wild animal who felt backed into a corner and was preparing to pounce at their aggressor, their teeth bared and claws extended, longing to tear at flesh. That's when he would draw her closer, pressing her against him as he attempted to combat her fear. He told her that there was no reason to be scared, that a person's dreams were their own and that no one could control them other then the person who created them. When she went off on some rant about Freddy, he'd let her spew before pointing out that it was simply a movie, something created for cinema to frighten those who didn't understand the power they held over their own dreams. But she was unconvinced and it wasn't until he promised her that he wouldn't allow anything to hurt her and that he'd lie awake all night long to ensure that she awoke unharmed that she finally succumbed to sleep.

He had to admit that he was a bit uneasy about it as well, but his reasons were far more grounded then hers. He hadn't divulged his true distaste towards the note, hadn't told her that it did indeed worry him slightly-but only because it meant he'd failed her. Damon wasn't one to admit that he'd let his guard slip and he knew she needed to believe in his strength now, needed to feel it's resolve so she could feel safe. So, he didn't mention the things that he'd deduced from her package.

But now as she slept peacefully on his chest, he felt it was safe to think the things he'd forced himself to push out of his mind, so he didn't have to lie to her. It was clear that this person who had such an interest in his dark princess was watching them very closely. Observing her so keenly that he had watched Damon as well. Close enough to know she was at his place more then her own and close enough to know that he could translate for her. This part truly infuriated him, whoever it was had either an immense amount of gall or a tremendous lack of brains, or perhaps he was blessed with both, to force Damon to have to speak his words for him. It was nicely played from the admirer's standpoint, he couldn't deny him that because it was definitely something he himself would get pleasure from if the roles were reversed, but it was incredibly stupid from this side of the board-because Damon would make him suffer greatly for it. And when the person already had so much devastation coming for lurking around something that belonged to Damon it was not a wise add on, instead it only stacked more chips against him.

Damon couldn't get over the fact that someone had gotten passed him for long enough to gain so much information-it was something he didn't think was possible. His senses were always extended, always alert and searching for any irregularities, and he'd never had anyone take him off guard before. He prided himself on his ability to survive, to watch his own back relentlessly and to always foresee an attack so the idea that he'd allowed someone to creep around in some sort of blind spot drove him nearly insane. Part of it was a self-preservation thing, he'd exposed himself to an opponent and was lucky it didn't end with a more permanent event, but more then that it was the fact that he'd failed her, he'd left her unprotected-something that was unacceptable.

His body tensed with anger, his breathing going harder as he pulled Morgan closer into him, wrapping his arm more securely around her and drawing her harder against him protectively. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and forced his Power wider, expanding he protective shield that surrounded them to nearly doubt it's size. Once it was covered a circumference that he felt was suitable he used his Power to probe the night for beings close to them, hoping he might locate their watcher so he could dispose of him savagely before Morgan woke. His search found only the energy of the normal forest inhabitants, the animals that sustained his brother-there was a family of squirrels nestled in a hallowed out tree about a mile into the woods, he'd be sure to mention them to Stefen in the morning.

His snide amusement was disrupted by Morgan's sharp and discontent movements as a groan passed her lips. He channeled enough Power to leave the protective force field around them up without his focusing on it so he could turn his attention to her. He drew her closer, her body was rigid and felt like the animal again, but he drew her tighter anyhow as a soft and soothing whisper passed his lips into her hair while his kiss danced across the crown of her head, "Shh Princess."

He'd known she'd create some sort of awful dream for herself with all that worrying and he knew he had to keep true to his word and protect her from whatever she'd came up with to torment herself. Her fingers curled, digging into his exposed chest as she jerked again, her moan more afflicted this time. He tightened his grip on her some more, stroking her hair softly with his other hand as another soft voice drifted out between kisses, "Shh I've got you, you're safe." She let out a soft whimper, that contrasted her body language darkly as her heart raced and her breathing staggered while she struggled against some unseen force in her dreams. He continued his stokes and kisses, willing her to feel the fierce power of his need to keep her protected and the love that drove his instincts.

Her muscles went placid, her breathing evened out and she melted back into him, her heart beating slowly again against him. He smiled into her hair as his gentle voice seeped passed his lips again, "There you go Princess, sleep-no more nightmares." There was several peaceful minutes and he let his eyes drift closed in relief, soaking up her calmness as he continued to play with her hair before something passed her lips that stopped him dead in his tracks and caused his eyes to shoot open. Her voice was soft and lyrical, her pronunciation superb and the words seemed so natural as they slipped off her tongue, "È nel suo sangue."

His spine stiffened and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. She knew small bits of Italian, but she'd never uttered an entire sentence that he hadn't taught her before and that was not one of the phrases she'd learned. He stared down at her in awe, completely horrified by the fact that she'd just spoken to him in fluent Italian while she slept and his mind snapped the note viciously. She spoke the words again, just as softly and just as perfectly, her voice whimsical and light. He had to wake her up, she was right, somehow that son of a bitch was in her mind-he had to break whatever connection he had with her before something he couldn't foresee happened.

He gripped her chin softly in his fingers, angling her face towards him as he spoke in a louder tone then he'd used all night but kept it gentle so as not to startle her awake, "Princess…" There was no response, not even a twitch in her facial expression. He spoke more forcefully "Princess." Still no reaction, as if he'd never spoken at all-he felt panic rocket through him, sheer terror that she was somehow lost to him. "Morgan," his voice was harsher now-nothing. "Morgan wake up!" he almost shouted, his grip on her chin more forcefully as he shook her face slightly.

A soft moan passed her lips, it was groggy and protesting and her face constricted in dissatisfaction. He felt relief spike in his chest, she was coming back to him, perhaps very slowly but it was happening none the less. "Wake up Princess. Come on, I need you to open your eyes and look at me," he said his tone smooth and affectionate but yet still very stern as he angled her face more perfectly toward his, lining up their eyes so they'd be connected when she opened hers. She let out another protesting groan and he swept the hair from her cheek and spoke again, "Come on look at me Princess." She swallowed coarsely and her lashes fluttered gently before opening just enough to meet his as she moaned softly. A sharp breath caught in his chest and a relieved smile arched on his mouth as he cradled her face in his hands softly and drew their lips together with a tenderness that seemed fitting of a reunion kiss.

She reciprocated the kiss, though hers was still cloaked in a sleepy haze and a soft sigh passed between her lips when it was complete.

He pulled back, still holding her face in his hands and held her eyes, which were still layered with sleep as she smiled up at him. He spoke in a comforting manner as he brushed his thumb softly on her cheekbone, letting himself enjoy the sparkle of her green eyes as he found a new appreciation for them, "See I told you I'd keep you safe." She smiled sweetly as she leaned into his touch and a soft 'mmm' passed between her lips. He continued his stroke as he kept his tone light and easy, trying to keep her in this calm and soothing state, "What did you see Princess?" He needed to know what he was up against, needed to understand how someone had found her in her dreams, so he could respond accordingly.

Her tone was light and dreamy as a soft smile passed her lips, "It was beautiful Caro-so peaceful and magical." He narrowed his brow in confusion as he studied her, his stroke stopping, "But you were fighting someone." Uncertainty shot across her eyes, making them slight cloudy as her voice came in a manner that matched them, "What?" "While you were dreaming you were struggling like you were fighting someone. I need you to remember you dream, I need to know what he looks like, what he is," he said completely appalled by the idea that she couldn't recollect anything that would cause this sort of physical response.

She constricted her eyes and shook her head softly as she spoke in a concrete tone, "No, that doesn't make sense Damon. I wasn't scared at all and it wasn't a him." He arched his neck slightly away from her in disbelief as he held her eyes his narrowing slightly, "But that doesn't make any sense Morgan, I felt you fighting…you dug your nails into my chest and whimpered-that's not peace. He had to have morphed your visions or-" She cut him off tenderly placing a hand softly on his face as his eyes searched the space between them, his mind reeling with possible scenarios, "Shh. No don't get all excited, I remember it all perfectly. I've been to this place hundreds of times in my dreams, there is no way someone could conjure up so perfectly a place like this without me noticing the differences. I never knew what it was before or who she was, but I know her-she's come to me many times in my life and it's because she's always watched me, always protected me, always wanted to guide me. I'm her kin Caro, she means me no harm." "I don't understand," he said in almost a breath, completely taken off guard by what she'd just said; her kin? What the hell was she talking about? More importantly-what the hell was she? It had to be more then they knew, this had to be more then some crazy White Priestess thing. He stroked her cheekbone lightly again, following the arch of it with the pad of his thumb tenderly as he studied her eyes to try and see inside of her; weren't eyes supposed to be the window to the soul?

"I know, but you will…I can explain it all and I will but I need my necklace Caro. Get me my necklace and I'll explain it all I swear," she said with a lightness and a certainty that made him stiffen. "What the hell is some pendant going to do right now? You didn't even want it before, why the sudden change?" he said his tone a lot more callous and judgmental then he meant it to be. She tilted her head softly and smiled sweetly up at him in the way someone would when they were looking at a lost child who's purity they found adorable as she pulled his hand from her face and balled them on his chest with hers wrapped around them while her voice flowed gently, completely unaffected by his harshness, "I didn't know what it meant before. You were right love, it was made for me and it couldn't be worn by anyone else. It means more then either of us could have known and when I have it, you'll see what I mean and then I'll explain everything, Caro, I promise."

"How do you expect to explain anything that happened here? You didn't even know it was happening. You probably don't even know that you were speaking Italian, do you?" he paused long enough to let her clear bewilderment flash across her eyes to answer the question for her before he continued, "I thought so. So how are you going to explain that? Do you even know what 'È nel suo sangue' means? Because you said it perfectly, twice." She swallowed coarsely and shifted her eyes as her brow tensed and she searched for the answer to his question, completely unable to find one. "It means 'It is in her blood' Morgan, explain that would you because that is what really has me all worked up," he said in the same harsh and cold tone he'd used since she started using that gentle and sure tone in the midst of all this bizarre and complex ordeal, not that bizarre or complex bothered him really, just then when it pertained to her it was dangerous and that put too much at stake.

She still didn't let it bother her, she had a way of taking it in stride because she knew it wasn't really directed at her. She smiled softly and a gently laugh broke through her lips that made him lose his temper slightly, his hostility more so directed at her then ever before, "Are you really laughing at that? I don't find this funny Morgan-no, actually I find this all very fucking unfunny." He pulled his hands from hers and started to pull away from her as he began climbing out of bed before she gripped his arm tightly in her hand; it wasn't that she was physically holding him there, she couldn't, it was something more powerful then force that stopped him in his retreat.

She was up on her knees, holding his eyes in a pleading manner and her voice matched them perfectly, "Damon, I'm sorry I am not laughing at you. It's Alexandra, she was being theatrical-I promise next time I see her I'll tell her it was tasteless." "Morgan, what the fuck is going on?" he said throwing his free hand up in frustration as he his words came out hot and uncompassionate.

"You'll understand I promise," she said holding his eyes contently before she rose and crossed towards the dresser where her chest and pendant were. She opened the box and pulled out the necklace as he spoke harshly, "Enough with the damn necklace Morgan! Would you-" His words broke off abruptly, his drawn brow going lax quickly as his mouth fell open and his arms which were motioning in an impatient and angry manner froze before falling slowly. He couldn't comprehend what he saw as necklace fell between her breast, nestling the pendant perfectly between them. The light that shone from the stone against her skin was pure and electric, blazing from deep within the stone and shooting out from it in all directions, creating a halo of blue light that matched the extraordinarily unique hue of the stone.

The amazing light threw it's colors onto her face, highlighting the subtle lines of it to make every arch more visible. It accentuated the striking beauty of her in a way that made all the subtle things that were so unique to her that he was certain was lost on most everyone other then him in the normal light undeniable. Her hair blew back softly from her shoulders, as if there was a gentle breeze that only touched her, and exposed her throat and chest completely so that the backdrop for the jewel was clear of everything other then her creamy skin. This light intensified the rose of her cheeks, and the crimson of her lips. And her green eyes were brighter, blazing brilliantly with there own light that intensified from within her.

He was so mystified by her appearance and the light that radiated from the stone that he almost didn't realize that lush green now shone in her already infatuating aura. It was a intense emerald, the same hue of the velvet in the box and it formed the rim, expanding her aura to twice the size and complimenting the vast array of colors she already possessed. As he studied it, completely transfixed by the shade, the light in the stone vanished abruptly, cloaking her in darkness, her aura still burning brilliantly around her head. Her curls fell back to her shoulders and he heard a shaky breath spike in her throat as she absorbed an immense amount of newly found energy.

He crossed towards her slowly, his eyes searching her as his hand reached out before him to touch her. "What is in your blood?" he said in a whisper, the pitch painfully low, sounding almost like a breath when his hand graced her now blazing skin, arching up along her cheekbone, their eyes locked. She drew her hand to his, placing hers softly over it and holding it securely to her face as she spoke in voice just as gentle as his, "Nymph."


	9. Magic

_**Amalgam**_

_Chapter 9: _

_Magic _

They sat the front porch in the swing, the gentle rock of it's movement intensifying the calmness that was tingling throughout every inch of her body as the gentle late spring breeze danced delicately over their exposed skin. She'd asked him to come outside with her because she felt that her newly found linage called for a little closeness to nature. She had a new found respect for the woods that surrounded them and not just for them as a whole, but for every single intricate little part that made them up: for the trees, the foliage and every single inhabitant-big and small. She let her eyes sweep fluidly over them and she felt a connect to it build slowly in every fiber of her being, a connect that was based in a newly found complexity humming through her that she hadn't even begun to understand.

His gentle voice seeped into her mind, with a smoothness that didn't interrupt her thoughts but rather swirled it's self beautifully into them, "Tell me what you know Princess." He drew his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him, resting his cheek on the crown of her head as she curled into his body, her own cheek coming to rest on his smooth, chilled chest as her hand slipped naturally onto his cut stomach. There wasn't fear within them anymore, each had it replaced by something much different: she was calm and at peace now as she understood better what the gifts she'd received meant and he was also a more relaxed now because he felt her serene energy but he was also intrigued by the fact that she could explain this new situation to him.

Their existence together on the swing, the rhythmic sway of the bench and the gently creak of it's heavy chains as they snuggled in an affectionate and placid way was fitting of a romantic recital of some magical story and it felt so right for her to explain what she learned from her dream when they were like this.

Her voice flowed whimsically, her tone soft and delicate as she gazed out into the woods adoringly, "I've been to this place millions of times before in my dreams, it's pretty much the most peaceful and magical place ever-everything is calm and perfect, and time has no real importance. It's absolutely surreal, sort of like everything soothing and beautiful all in one place, so I always figured this place was something that had to be of my creation, like a defense mechanism I'd fabricated in my subconscious for myself because I always end up there whenever I have problems in my life, or whenever I feel lost, scared or depressed. So I didn't even question my being there tonight and when I saw Alexandra I felt instantly at ease-she's always in this place when I go there and I guess I sort of just always figured she was my mind's creation of the most perfect mother.

And psychologically, it always made sense that I'd create some sort of impeccable woman to care about me and to guide me because that was never my own mother's thing and the more cold and detached that she grew, the more I saw Alexandra in our special place." She paused, letting a silence fall over them smoothly as she tried to combat the emotions that remembering her mother's callousness and lack of concern gave her-she didn't want something so unimportant to ruin the peace that ran through her. He didn't speak, he just twirled the strands of her long hair delicately in his fingers as she curled into him more closely, drawing comfort from the ease that surrounded their relationship now-it hadn't been very long since he'd kept a heavy stone barrier between them even when they were intimate and when they sat together like this, she knew that those days were long since behind them, even if he still kept parts of himself shielded from her.

When she finally spoke again, her voice was just as smooth and delicate as before, "Alexandra always feed this rationale, she never once divulged any information to sway me away from my own rational reasoning as to who she stood for or what our place really was-not until tonight. I don't really understand why she decided to bring to light the truth of everything and to finally to explain what I truly am to me, but something about the way she spoke to me tonight makes me believe that she really didn't have a choice anymore." She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was a sort of urgency in her naturally soothing voice, and a concern deep beneath the composure of her gentle blue eyes. Although she wanted to believe Alexandra when she told her that this was just something she felt Morgan was ready to understand, she could not, because it contradicted so many other things she'd said.

Damon must have felt the minute tension that seeped into her muscles, although she'd been so certain that she'd masked it completely, because his voice was soft and comforting as his fingers still twirled lightly in the long strands of her hair, "You think she keeping something from us-well you?" "Yes," she said softly as she pressed herself closer to him, "I think she doesn't believe we are really ready for something much more important then just simply what I am." "Mmm," he said gently, trying to remain unaffected, even though she knew he was contemplating things far more sinister then her because he trusted no one completely-sometimes she wondered if he even had complete faith in her yet, but honestly she knew she'd be the same after one hundred and fifty years of being hurt by all the people she cared most about. "What do you think she's hiding?" he said finally unable to deny his own thoughts any longer and setting his feelers up to gauge his against hers.

"I don't know really," she said sounding discouraged for the first time since she'd waken up, "but a lot of what she said just doesn't fit." "Well love, then we will trust her words until we find a reason to do otherwise and hopefully for everyone's sake, she just needs to feel we're ready," he said smoothly and with a sort of gentle underlying encouragement that she needed. "I don't think she's holding back whatever it is out of anything but protectiveness, but there is always the possibility that she is," she said slightly disheartened-she didn't like the idea that someone who'd been so maternal, who had guided her in just about every choice she'd made in life through her dreams and knowing now what really connected them would somehow hurt her in the end, but she wasn't naïve enough to not think it was a possibility.

"I know it's hard to fathom betrayal Princess, but it is a real possibility. It seems easiest for those close to us to truly hurt us the most…" he gentle voice drifted off momentarily, his fingers still working in her hair as a sympathetic pain seeped through him and she knew he was all too familiar with that truth. When his voice finally picked back up, it was back to the inquisitive smoothness that it had held in the beginning and she was relieved to be able to push away the emotions that the idea of being hurt by Alexandra made burn through her veins, "What did she tell you?"

"She told me that she is the Queen of the Nymphs and that this place that she shares with me is her kingdom, the Realm of Lux. She explained that she was not the sort of nymphs that she governs, that they all have something specific that they are sworn to protect-like a specific type of willow tree or a certain stream-but rather that her blood makes her protector of all things that belong to the earth. She is basically Mother Earth herself and unlike other Nymphs where if their tree is cut down or their stream succumbs to draught the cease to exist, she can survive as long as there is still a balance of life and only the destruction of nature it's self would kill her," she paused, almost dramatically here, letting the magnitude of her power wash over Damon for several short breaths.

He spoke gently as he continued his soothing twirling of her hair, being sure to keep his question unkind, "And you are one of her subjects that she has decided to call upon for her own benefit?" She smiled softly, pleased that his thoughts ran parallel to her own-she'd assumed the same thing at first, "That's what I thought, I assumed there was something she wished for me to protect but she was very adamant that there was something far important in store me. I was skeptical and I demanded that she explain it further but she was so evasive-she told me that it was simply a state of fact not that she had anything in mind. When I grew hostile with her for not giving me anymore information about what is was she needed from me, she stroked my cheek very softly and told me that she only wished to finally explain to me my linage and for me to finally know what it was about me that made me so undeniably special. She told me that I was indeed a nymph but that my blood was special because I was her blood, that I was only surviving decent of our family."

Damon tensed at her words, but only for a split second before his words slipped out without even a hint of dissatisfaction, "I always knew you were far more powerful then any of us could understand." "Not yet," she said smoothly, sorry that she was dampening the mood slightly, "For some reason that I don't know and that she wouldn't explain, I wasn't born in Lux and my linage is diluted with human blood. That is why she sent me the necklace, she said wearing it would empower me, awakening my nymph blood and thus I could tap into my true Power. She told me that I would have to hone it in order to gain any real baring on what I am capable of and that by doing so, I will eventually be able to overpower the human weakness that is in my blood completely."

Damon's fingers froze momentarily in her hair, their movements ceased completely for several long moments before he finally spoke and they started to twirl the strand again, "She wants you to give up your humanity?" His voice seemed cold and detached, like he was speaking aloud his thoughts rather then addressing her and it made her blood feel cold-she hadn't thought of it like that when Alexandra had explained it to her. She ran his question through her mind several times and they left a thickness in her throat and she swallowed it back tirelessly as she struggled to speak through it, "No she wants you to take it."

His fingers stopped in her hair again but this time the strand fell from them completely and his entire body tensed in both shock and defense. He voice came out in a crackled whisper that was thick with uncertainty, "What does she want from me?" "She wants you to help me channel my Power-she said it is much like your own and as much mastery as she's seen with you the process will be complete in a matter of-" she started easily at first but her tone quickened slightly with excitement at the thought of the power she was capable of before he cut in with a tone that was harsh and callous and took her completely off guard, "Why doesn't she come and rob you of your humanity on her own if she's so damn set on you loosing it? Why do I have to be the one who lives with that? She sounds like a self serving coward to me."

"Damon!" she said hotly, pulling herself up and off of him as she studied him with angry eyes, putting space between them. "What? Are you honestly going to defend her?" he asked in an irate manner, his jaw tightened in anger and his body twisted towards her as he pulled back so they were face each other. "I don't understand your hostility, I'm not defending anyone!" she shot back her tone equal to his as she narrowed her eyes in frustration. "Do you understand the veracity of what she wants me to do?" he asked harshly, his dark eyes burning fiercely as he squared his shoulders in preparation for their fight. "She's just asking you to help me understand my Power, what the hell are you getting all angry about?" she said in a strong and angry tone that tittered on yelling as she threw her hands up in discouragement. His jaw went rigid again as his nostrils flared and an irate huff broke through his lips before he spoke in a dark and furious tone, "No she's asking me to teach you how to kill what's left of your humanity!"

"That's ridiculous Damon she is not," she said as she rolled her eyes in anger and turned her gaze away from him with a dismissive hand gesture. "No that is exactly what she's asking of me and you're okay with it!" he said jumping to his feet and when she turned her eyes back to him she took in fierce distaste burning in ever inch of his stance and expression. "All I am asking from you is that you help me channel all my Power so I can try and understand myself, why are you trying to make me feel like that is wrong? That's what I've been doing for weeks and you've been fine with it and now all of a sudden because it's something bigger you cant be bothered with helping me? What the hell is that about Damon?" she said jumping to her feet before him so she could gain some higher ground instead of being glowered at underneath him.

"Don't you dare turn it around like that Morgan because you know I would do absolutely anything for you! This has nothing to do with me not wanting you to understand what you're capable of!" he boomed his voice darker and more volatile then anything she had ever heard before, her insinuation that he had anything but complete commitment to her drove him furious-if she hadn't been so annoyed with him that tone would have driven her straight into his arms. "Then what is it?" she said in a tone not as harsh as she threw both of her arms up in defeat.

"The woman I love is human! That what it is!" he screamed as he leaned towards her his tone not nearly as cut throat as it had been it's undertones reeking of heart wrenching desperation. She froze, complete taken aback by his words and her jaw went lax, her mouth falling open partially as she just studied him unable to speak. His eyes softened, his brow creased in pain and his lips pouted as though he might cry as he stepped towards her and placed both of his hands on her cheeks, rested his forehead on hers and spoke in a gentle whisper, "She asking me to kill the woman I love, how could I not be hostile?"

"Oh Caro," she breathed softly as she closed her eyes and drew her arms around his neck to hold him close. Her complete lack of understanding as to what he was truly saying pained her, she'd never realized how threatening this notion would seem to him, how much he feared changing her. "I can't lose you too, I won't survive it," he said in a whisper with a gentle hopelessness that broke her heart. "You wouldn't be loosing me, you'd be gaining a part of me that I haven't discovered yet," she said opening her eyes to take in the pain that swam through his. "How can you be so sure?" he said in a broken tone, his jaw tightening softly as his eyes held hers. "Because love, I've always been this, it's always been inside of me and it's part of who I am. I will always be me, no matter what Power I have-human or not I will always need you, it's chiseled into my soul to be with you and my soul will never change no mattered how much my Power does," she said in a gentle and loving manner, her voice so soft that she knew he was the only one who could hear it and her words were only meant for him-she would never utter words of this magnitude to another.

He pressed his lips softy to hers, softer then anyone else had ever before and even with it's tenderness it felt like electricity, the tender way his full lips swept over hers made her shiver. She felt his lips arch into a sweet smile against hers in response to it and he brushed his thumbs softly over her cheekbones before he kissed her again. The second time was just as gentle, but he held their lips together longer, drawing it out in a loving yet passionate way. He pulled back just enough to let his words seep out in a gentle whisper that held more characteristics of an exhale then anything else but she was so in-tuned to him that she heard every single syllable, "Is it what you want?"

Her response came out in the midst of her breath, the word mixed with such white noise that she herself almost couldn't make it out, "Yes." He sighed softly and his brow tightened against hers, a clear indicator that he still couldn't wrap his head around the idea that he gave into her so easily. He stroked her cheek and pressed his lips gingerly to hers once again, the love they communicated radiating throughout her body like a sizzling heat before he spoke against them, "Then I will help you."

"Thank you," she said softly before she gave him her own kiss that was soaked with adoration. Her kiss lasted for several moments and remained tender the entire time, never going inappropriate-it was a grateful kiss, a simple expression of how completely indebted she was to him and how little she wished to change about that.

When it finally ended they pulled away from each other, their gazes locked on one another as his hands moved from her face and he locked his arms loosely around her, keeping her at a distance so he could admire her but never really far from him. He sighed softly and his lips arched in a slightly heartbroken way while his dark eyes shifted fluidly over hers, his mind obviously still buzzing with some insanity that he might loose her as brushed a loose strand of hair from her face before speaking gently, "What is it you need?"

She smiled in a sweet manner up at him before she tightened her arms around his neck and pulled herself dangerously close to him. She pressed the length of her body securely to his and angled her mouth more hungrily then before as she spoke her response between his parted lips, "I need you." His lips arched dangerously, exposing the brilliance of his smile as his eyes blazed and she mirrored his expression perfectly before she pulled on his full bottom lip with her teeth.

"Now that I won't even object to," he said in a sultry growl as he drew her harder against him and kissed her with a raw passion. "Good," she said in something of a moan when their lips parted enough for it. Her head whirled with the taste of him, the sweet and tangy flavor dancing like wildfire across her tongue. She drew him even closer, deepening their kiss further in an attempt to satisfy her need for him, although she was fairly certain she never would. Just when she was thinking she might get close, his lips left hers abruptly and before she could muster words of protest he had her slung over his shoulder. A laugh erupted from her lips with gleeful surprise and he move quickly towards the house as he delivered a quick smack to her ass as a dangerously hungry growl passed his lips to create words, "I promise not to leave you wanting." Another shrill giggle escaped as he ran swiftly up the stair towards his bedroom, she was entirely certain that he would be keeping his word on this and she was so excited to be a part of it.

* * *

She lay beside him, the early morning light spilling through the thick curtains to throw intriguing highlights over her frame. Her voluptuous figure was sprawled comfortably next to him in bed, she was on her side and the frazzled silk sheet was tucked between her legs and draped in the most perfect manner to conceal just enough of her in it's sensual obscurity to leave him hungry for what it kept hidden. She was completely naked besides the gentle wrap of black silk, the light dew that still coated every inch of her skin from their escapade and the heavy pendant that nestles in an appetizing manner between her full and perky breasts.

Her long dark curls were swept behind her, the majority falling over the edge of the pillow, cascading down off the mattress to hang beautifully with a simplistic grace and free-spiritedness that was unique to her alone which left the serenity of her face fully open to him for admiring. She was lost deep in sleep, the sort of deepness that even dreams can't touch and her breathing was so shallow, and her heart rate so faint that even he might miss them if he weren't so in tune with ever aspect of her. He followed the lines of her face, which were accentuated beautifully by the gentle stream of sunlight that shone with a delicate shimmer against the creamy purity of her ivory skin. He studied every arch, curve and subtle angle of it carefully and although his mind knew perfectly how each sweep moved he let the significance of her beauty captivate him as though it were a novelty anyhow. He found his eyes lingering on her lips, following the curvature of them slowly, taking in the sheer perfection of their shape and fullness.

As he studied her with indulgence, his body instinctual tilted towards her, his spine arching as though he were being pulled towards her by some invisible cord that was connected to his chest and he found his hands lifting slowly as they extended out to touch her. Even though they'd just spent the last hour tangled in a mess of fleshy contact he couldn't satisfy his need to feel her warmth against him. He still yearned to slip his lips softly over hers, to share her breaths and to feel her heart pounding in response to how flawlessly they existed through each other.

The backs of his fingers trailed lightly over her cheek and the sheer sensation of touching her caused him to release a slightly staggered breath of ecstasy. He didn't think he'd ever get over how it felt to be with her, to feel her warmth and to get a rush from the immense amount of life that she so freely allowed him to absorb as it coursed from her with such intensity that left him slightly lightheaded. She was beautiful, on a level that he'd never imagined existed, something much more complex then the favorable genetics she was dealt; there was exquisiteness in her laugh, her smell, her taste and in her vibrancy- she was more alive then he'd ever been and by being with her, he had learned to allow himself to feed from it, to feel it within himself.

His heart broke then as he studied her, his brief moment of elation shattered by the daunting truth that she was asking him to kill what drew him to her the most. She was adamant that she wouldn't be lost to him, that she'd still be the same Morgan who he couldn't stand the thought of being without but he couldn't conquer the fear that he would be left without the parts of her that made him believe that his existence was more then just some sort of cruel and painfully drawn out joke that he hadn't grasped the punch line for yet.

The thought of going back to the utter solitude and loneliness that he survived for a century and a half before he found her made him shutter, but not the blissful sort of shutter that he got from a touch of her skin, but more like a rapid surge of ice water was injected into his veins with such force that it burned with an icy pain quickly throughout every channel of his body all at once. She took notice of this with a slight constriction of her brow- even in her deep sleep she could feel his discomfort and uneasiness and it caused discontent to flicker across her face momentarily.

This only made his feelings worse, he could possibly be losing a connection that was so intricate and strong with her that he was certain it would leave quite the gapping hole in it's absence. He should have kept to the promise he'd made to himself in the beginning, that he would get his fill of her and be done, it would be so much easier if he had, but he couldn't keep himself from her because he didn't think he'd ever get enough of her. Yet look where it had gotten him-tittering on the edge of dissolution at the thought of losing her. He wasn't supposed to be like this, he was supposed to be able to walk away from anyone or anything without remorse, yet he couldn't bare the thought of returning to an existence that didn't include her- when did he become that guy, when did he turn into Stefen, and how the hell had he missed it?

He let out a disgruntled groan at the thought of his weakness as he let his hand fall between them, yet honestly he felt no urge to fight the surrender of himself to her. He loved her, to a degree that was fanatic and he was actually okay with that. He rather enjoyed the thought that he could happily spend the rest of his life loving her; if she would have him for forever then forever was more appealing then it had ever been before and without her, there was no purpose to it. He couldn't go back to how things used to be, there was no way it would be possible.

Yet he'd told her he would help her harness these nymph powers, he told her he'd allow her to let her humanity we extinguished. There was no taking that back, he wasn't a liar; he was many things, crude-yes, difficult-certainly, defiant-absolutely, arrogant-wouldn't you be?, but he was not a liar. He had no choice but to follow through on his end of the deal, he would have to help her get in touch with the Power that was in her blood, would have to help her find her true potential-even if it could potentially ruin the life he'd become so accustomed to, this life he was creating with her.

He studied her for several more long moments before the only option became very clear to him, something that was so plain to see that he was actually pissed he'd let himself be so worked up over it: he would help her, because he'd given her his word, but he would fight to keep them together with ever fiber of his being. She'd told him it was chiseled into her soul to be with him and he would be sure to keep it that way. He was a fighter, it was part of his makeup, that would never change, so he would use ever possible tactic he had to in order to keep their existence as one in tact. Shit, if it really called for it, he'd even bend over his sword and go completely against his survival instinct by exposing his throat while surrendering to her to remind her just how immensely he truly loved her and would rather die then be without her.


End file.
